Posts

25 Best Blog Niche Ideas (Data Study)

The internet is full of recycled lists claiming to reveal the “most profitable blog niche ideas.”

But most lack any actual data to back up their recommendations.

That’s why we decided to do something different.

We analyzed 100 blog niches using a comprehensive methodology to identify the top 25 opportunities based on cold, hard numbers.

This included:

  • Search volume data
  • Keyword difficulty scores
  • Average cost per click (CPC)
  • Search intent
  • Short- and long-term growth trends

Google Docs – Blog Niches

For each winning niche, we created a detailed scorecard that ranks its performance across three critical dimensions:

Growth, monetization, and ranking potential.

These metrics are presented on a five-point scale to help you quickly assess each niche’s strengths and challenges.

Whether you’re launching your first blog or your fifth, these insights will help you make smarter decisions about where to invest your time and energy.

Check out our methodology below, or skip right to the “top blog niches of 2025.

Methodology: How We Rated the Blog Niche Ideas

To identify the most promising blog niches of 2025, we developed a scoring system that evaluated 100 niches across three key performance metrics:

Growth Trend (35% of Total Score)

We analyzed historical growth patterns in the U.S. by combining:

  • Year-over-year growth (40% weight)
  • 5-year growth trend (30% weight)
  • 10-year growth trajectory (30% weight)

This weighted average was then converted to a 1-5 scale, with five circles indicating exceptional growth potential.

All growth trend data was sourced from Exploding Topics.

Exploding Topics – AI

Monetization Potential (35% of Total Score)

We evaluated earning potential by combining:

  • Search volume relative to top niches (40% weight)
  • Average cost-per-click rates (40% weight)
  • User intent (20% weight)—with commercial intent receiving higher scores

Higher scores (more filled circles) indicate stronger monetization opportunities.

U.S. search volume, intent, and CPC data were all gathered from Semrush data.

Keyword Overview – AI

Ranking Potential (30% of Total Score)

We assessed competition levels based on keyword difficulty:

  • 0-20% difficulty = 5 circles (easiest to rank)
  • 21-40% difficulty = 4 circles
  • 41-60% difficulty = 3 circles
  • 61-80% difficulty = 2 circles
  • 81-100% difficulty = 1 circle (most competitive)

Keyword difficulty data was sourced from Semrush.

Each niche received a total score based on these weighted metrics, allowing us to identify the top 25 blog niche ideas.

Now that you see how we evaluated these niches, let’s find the right one for YOU with our Three Ps framework.

How to Choose and Validate Your Blog Niche

Want to know the secret to long-term blogging success?

It all comes down to the three Ps: Passion, Potential, and Profitability.

Three Ps of Blog Niches

The most successful blogs hit this trifecta.

They’re built around topics you genuinely care about, have substantial audience interest, and offer clear paths to revenue.

Here’s how to find your perfect match.

Step 1: Consider Your Passions

Passion for your blog niche isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s a competitive advantage.

Why does this first “P” matter so much?

When you genuinely care about your topic, you’ll:

  • Stick with it when growth is slow (and trust me, every blogger faces plateaus)
  • Develop deeper insights that casual researchers miss
  • Create high-quality content that naturally displays E-E-A-T (expertise, experience, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness) signals that Google rewards
  • Create authentic content that resonates with fellow enthusiasts

Think about what topics you find yourself researching for fun, discussing with friends, or already have experience with.

These are your passion indicators.

Pro tip: You’ll be creating hundreds—if not thousands—of articles on this topic. Make sure it’s something that won’t feel like a chore six months from now.


Step 2: Research the Niche’s Long-Term Potential

Found a topic you love? Great.

Now let’s evaluate the second “P”—Potential—to make sure this niche has staying power.

First, verify there’s an actual audience for your niche.

Here’s how:

Visit online communities where your potential readers hang out:

  • Facebook Groups: Check member count and weekly post volume
  • Quora: Analyze question frequency and follower counts
  • Reddit: Look for subreddits with at least 10,000 members

For example, when I searched “gardening” on Reddit, I found this active subreddit with 7.8 million members.

Reddit – Gardening

Pay attention to:

  • Common questions people ask
  • Problems they’re trying to solve
  • Language they use to describe their challenges
  • Products or solutions they’re already using

Now, let’s look at whether your niche is growing or declining.

Open Google Trends and enter your blog niche idea.

Change the time frame dropdown to “Past 5 years” (or a custom timeframe).

Google Trends – Gardening Timeframe

For example, “gardening” has stayed fairly steady—and even seen frequent spikes in interest—over the past five years.

This is an encouraging sign that this niche will remain popular over time.

Google Trends – Gardening Interest

As you review niches, look for the following:

  • Upward trend (or fairly steady interest) over time
  • Seasonal patterns you can plan content around
  • Related topics showing rapid growth

Step 3: Analyze Profitability

Moderate to strong interest in your blog niche is a fantastic start.

But the third “P”—profitability—determines if your blog can actually make money.

Here’s where you validate if people are actively searching for content in your niche.

And what the average CPC for your niche is.

You’ll need a keyword research tool for this step.

I’ll be using Semrush’s Keyword Overview tool for this example.

Note: A free Semrush account gives you 10 searches in Keyword Overview per day. Or you can use this link to access a 14-day trial on a Semrush Pro subscription.


Enter your main niche topic, such as “garden design.”

Keyword Overview – Garden Design

The “Overview” report tells you everything you need to know to assess this niche’s monetization potential:

For example, “garden design” gets 6.6K searches per month in the United States.

While not as high as some, niching down from the broad category of “gardening” has clear benefits.

This includes much lower difficulty (65% vs. 90%).

Next, look at the “CPC” report.

(The higher the CPC, the more advertisers are willing to pay for clicks, signaling stronger monetization opportunities.)

“Garden design” has a CPC of $1.78, which shows monetization potential.

Keyword Overview – Garden Design – CPC

Pro tip: What’s a “good” CPC? After analyzing CPC data across 100 blog niches, I found the average was $2.09. While this benchmark is useful, don’t chase high CPCs alone—weigh them against competition levels and search volume to find your ideal niche.


With the three Ps as your guide, you can confidently identify a blog niche that’s personally fulfilling and financially rewarding.

Now, let’s explore the top 25 blog niche ideas for 2025.

1. Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Blog Niche – AI

In a surprise to no one, “AI” is the #1 blog niche for 2025.

Despite the relatively modest $1.24 CPC, the off-the-charts search volume (1M) makes this an incredibly lucrative opportunity.

But you’ll need to bring your A-game.

This means expert content that demonstrates a deep understanding of the topic.

This is true whether you focus on breaking artificial intelligence news and trends before others do.

Or providing in-depth tutorials and tool reviews to help the everyday person understand and use AI.

Or you could niche down further.

Like the successful AI blog Machine Learning Mastery.

This blog teaches developers “how to get better results, faster” with practical AI tutorials.

Machine Learning Mastery – Free eBook

Machine Learning Mastery is a great example of how to monetize in this space.

They use display advertising and sell multiple machine learning ebooks and tutorials.

Machine Learning Mastery – Python

Monetization paths: AI tool affiliate partnerships, display ads, online courses, consulting services, paid newsletters with industry insights

Success requirements: Tech fluency, talent for simplifying complex topics, constant learning mindset, firsthand experience with emerging tools


2. Digital Marketing

Blog Niche – Digital Marketing

Digital marketing is a high-potential niche.

With 426% growth over the past decade and a substantial 165,000 monthly searches, this space offers clear potential to turn your blog into a reliable revenue stream.

But the competition is no joke.

Even the subniches like SEO and content marketing have 100% keyword difficulty.

To stand out in this highly competitive space, you’ll need to create content competitors can’t easily replicate.

Think case studies, original research, firsthand insights, and expert interviews.

Backlinko – Search Engine Ranking

For example, Search Engine Journal (SEJ) has found success in the SEO and search marketing subniches with data-backed content written by industry experts.

SEJ – SEO Data Suggest – Blog

While there are many ways to monetize a digital marketing blog, SEJ’s strategy includes syndicated content opportunities and banner ads.

SEJ – Get More Traffic

Monetization paths: Premium courses, consulting services, display ads, SaaS affiliate programs, members-only communities

Success requirements: Proven campaign experience, analytical mindset, established industry network


3. Cybersecurity

Blog Niche – Cybersecurity

This high-profit niche commands an impressive $11.51 CPC—the second highest on our list.

This makes cybersecurity one of the most profitable blog categories if you can crack the code to ranking.

The 809% growth over the past decade tells you there is serious long-term potential here.

But the 100% keyword difficulty?

It means breaking into this space requires genuine expertise that can’t be faked.

Consider specializing in subniches where competition is slightly less intense.

Like network security, privacy protection, or ethical hacking,

Keyword Overview – Ethical Hacking

Take the blog Krebs on Security, for example.

The creator of this blog, Brian Krebs, is a former Washington Post journalist.

Krebs has built authority by breaking major security news stories through investigative journalism.

Kerbson Security – Homepage

Krebs on Security also has a strong monetization strategy that involves both on- and offline tactics.

This includes display ads, affiliate marketing, and speaking engagements.

Kerbson Security – Banner Ad

Monetization paths: Security tool affiliates, corporate training programs, display ads, consulting, premium newsletters

Success requirements: Verifiable security credentials, ability to explain technical concepts clearly, commitment to staying current with evolving threats


4. Meal Prep

Blog Niche – Meal Prep

Meal prep has seen remarkable growth (457%) over the past decade.

And it has no signs of slowing down.

It’s also slightly more accessible than some top niches, with 75% keyword difficulty.

(Plus, check out that healthy $5.24 CPC).

But what makes this niche particularly attractive is its evergreen appeal.

People will always need convenient, healthy eating solutions that save time and money.

Exploding Topics – Meal Prep

Success here hinges on authenticity.

Thoroughly test your recipes, document each step visually, and provide specific troubleshooting tips from your own kitchen experiences.

Combine high-quality photography with practical, real-world advice that readers can’t find in generic recipe collections.

Note: “Food” is one of the most profitable blog niches, averaging $9,169 per month in revenue, according to a RankIQ study.


For example, Sweet Peas and Saffron, a popular meal prep blog, features step-by-step directions and storage and reheating instructions for each recipe.

Sweet Peas – Storage & Meal Prep

They also monetize their blog in a few tasty ways:

  • Display ads
  • Amazon’s affiliate marketing program
  • Downloadable meal plans

Sweet Peas – Books

Monetization paths: Recipe ebooks, meal planning subscriptions, display ads, cooking equipment affiliates, sponsored content from food brands

Success requirements: Culinary knowledge, food photography skills, process documentation abilities


5. Wellness

Blog Niche – Wellness

Wellness has doubled in popularity over the last decade, showing steady 100% growth.

With 77% keyword difficulty, this niche offers a somewhat more accessible entry point.

Another bonus? Strong audience interest (49,500 monthly searches).

Exploding Topics – Wellness

Rather than covering the entire field, consider focusing on subniches where you can establish deep expertise.

Like sleep, stress management, or mindfulness practices

Balance science-backed information with relatable personal experiences.

Readers want evidence that wellness practices actually work, preferably from someone who’s implemented them in real life.

For example, Wellness Mama has built a devoted blog following.

The family-focused natural living content is tested and reviewed by researchers and medical advisors, which builds trust and credibility.

Wellness Mama – Homepage

As for monetization?

Wellness Mama has a podcast and multiple cookbooks.

Wellness Mama – Books

They’re also in various affiliate marketing programs.

Monetization paths: Wellness product affiliates, online courses, digital journals/planners, brand partnerships

Success requirements: Relevant credentials or personal transformation story, ability to cite research accurately, consistent content that builds trust


6. Home Remodeling

Blog Niche – Home Remodeling

Love to DIY home projects?

The home remodeling blog niche offers enticing numbers:

  • 60% keyword difficulty (lower than many of our top niches)
  • $5.22 CPC
  • Consistent growth: 41% YoY; 65% 5Y; 39% 10Y

To shine in this niche, demonstrate real expertise, whether you focus on home decor or kitchen redesigns.

Readers want detailed cost breakdowns, material recommendations, and step-by-step instructions that result in successful outcomes.

High-quality before/after photos and video tutorials will separate your blog from competitors.

Young House Love is a prime example of home remodeling niche mastery.

They document real renovation projects with detailed cost breakdowns and process photos that show every step.

Young House Love – Homepage

They’ve also monetized through multiple book deals.

And have their own lighting line at a major retailer, showing the diverse money-making potential of this niche.

Shades of Light – Young House Love

Monetization paths: Tool/material affiliates, online courses/tutorials, digital downloads, sponsored content

Success requirements: Construction/remodeling experience, step-by-step tutorial ability, video production capabilities


Pro tip: Diversify your blog monetization strategy. Multiple income streams not only help you earn more overall, but they also provide crucial protection if one revenue source slows down.


7. Debt Management

Blog Niche – Debt Management

Talk about the sleeper hit of blog niches.

Debt management has an eye-popping $15.50 CPC—the highest on our list.

Despite a relatively modest search volume (2,900 monthly searches), this niche presents a golden opportunity for monetization.

Plus, the 63% keyword difficulty makes it more accessible than many top niches.

Exploding Topics – Debt Management

But here’s the catch:

As a Your Money, Your Life (YMYL) topic, Google holds financial content to much higher standards.

You’ll need to demonstrate legitimate expertise to rank.

Success requires establishing E-E-A-T signals through author credentials (financial certifications help), expert contributions, and comprehensive, accurate advice backed by authoritative sources.

Trust is everything here.

Focus on transparency, avoid get-rich-quick promises, and show readers a clear path to financial improvement.

Personal stories (with receipts) will be a differentiator in this niche.

Note: Finance blogs are popular and profitable. According to RankIQ, bloggers in this niche earn an impressive average of $9,100 per month, making it one of the most lucrative blogging categories.


While there are plenty of smaller blogs in this niche (with low traffic) many of the major players are blogs run by financial institutions.

Like this one:

Amerprise – Effective debt management

But with a solid SEO strategy and high-quality content, you’ll have a good shot at breaking through on the SERPs.

Monetization paths: Financial product affiliates, debt management courses, one-on-one coaching, financial planning templates

Success requirements: Financial credentials, ethical marketing approach, ability to simplify complex concepts


8. Pet Health

Blog Niche – Pet Health

Pet parents take the health of their fur babies seriously, which is evident by the 72% growth of this niche over the past decade.

It also has moderate keyword difficulty (64%).

And an impressive $5.15 CPC.

Of course, the lower search volume (1,300) isn’t ideal.

But it’s offset by this niche’s commercial intent.

Exploding Topics – Pet Health

To succeed in this space, create detailed guides on specific health conditions, prevention strategies, and nutrition advice.

Remember, this is another YMYL niche where Google demands expertise.

Veterinary credentials or partnerships with pet health professionals will boost your credibility and ranking potential.

A pet health blog that exemplifies all of this is Preventive Vet.

The blog’s content is written and reviewed by veterinarians, pet behavioral consultants, and pet trainers.

Preventive Vet – Homepage

They’ve also monetized in multiple ways, with products and services tailored to their ideal customer:

Pet parents (and pets, of course).

This includes books, dog toys, and virtual and in-person dog training courses.

Preventive Vet – Puppy Training

Monetization paths: Pet insurance affiliates, health supplement partnerships, premium care guides, telemedicine referrals

Success requirements: Animal health knowledge, ability to research medical topics thoroughly, genuine passion for animal welfare


9. B2B Sales

Blog Niche – B2B Sales

Interest in B2B sales has exploded with 191% growth over the past decade.

Yet it remains surprisingly accessible with just 50% keyword difficulty.

This rising star niche sits in a sweet spot.

There’s enough search volume (14,800 monthly searches) to drive traffic.

But it doesn’t have the cutthroat competition of broader business categories.

Exploding Topics – B2B Sales

What works here? Real results.

Share actual sales frameworks you’ve used, document real client acquisition processes, and provide email and cold-calling templates.

Focus on specific industries, sales challenges, or buyer journey stages to carve out your unique positioning.

The Close Blog is a great example of this.

The content is tailored to startups and small business owners.

And it’s written by industry experts.

Close – Blog

While Close uses its blog to generate leads for its CRM, it’s not the only way they monetize.

They also run an affiliate program, offering 30% commission on each referred paying customer.

Close – Partners

Monetization paths: SaaS affiliate programs, sales training courses, consulting services, lead generation tools

Success requirements: B2B sales experience, strategic thinking, ability to demonstrate ROI clearly


10. Weight Loss

Blog Niche – Weight Loss

“Weight loss” is a powerhouse blog niche with awesome monthly search volume (165,000).

And undeniably strong monetization potential ($5.99 CPC).

Despite minimal year-over-year growth, the five-year trend is positive, with an increase of 78%.

Exploding Topics – Weight Loss

(This isn’t surprising, considering the weight loss medicine “Ozempic” gets 1.5 million searches alone.)

The issue?

100% keyword difficulty means you’re competing against established health authorities and major publications.

This YMYL niche requires genuine expertise and trustworthiness.

Consider specializing in targeted subniches to find less competitive angles.

Like weight management for specific health conditions or demographic groups.

Personal stories of success—with real before and after photos—will be especially impactful.

For example, the weight loss blog Runs for Cookies features the creator’s personal story of losing 125 pounds.

This establishes trust and credibility with readers (and search engines).

Run for Cookies – Homepage

Runs for Cookies’ monetization strategy includes Amazon’s affiliate program and display ads.

As an avid runner, Runs for Cookies recommends their favorite clothes and accessories based on personal experience.

This gives their suggestions authenticity and trustworthiness, helping to encourage sales.

Run for Cookies – Monetization

Monetization paths: Nutrition program affiliates, fitness equipment partnerships, meal planning subscriptions, fitness products, coaching services

Success requirements: Health/nutrition credentials, ability to interpret scientific studies accurately, responsible content approach


11. Skincare

Blog Niche – Skincare

Skincare has seen long-term growth of 400% over the last decade.

(Though the recent 13% year-over-year dip suggests potential market saturation.)

With 90,500 monthly searches and a keyword difficulty of 91%, this is a challenging but potentially rewarding space.

But if you’re going the affiliate or sponsored content route, be warned:

Readers want genuine product recommendations and advice.

They can see through endless glowing reviews just to push affiliate links.

Take the popular blog Lab Muffin Beauty Science, for example.

Its creator holds a PhD in chemistry.

And uses their expertise to break down the science behind beauty products.

This helps readers separate fact from marketing hype.

Lab Muffin – Homepage

To monetize, Lab Muffin Beauty Science uses multiple income streams:

  • Display ads
  • Affiliate links
  • Ebooks
  • Sponsored content

This mix allows the blog to generate revenue while staying true to its mission of providing science-backed beauty insights.

Lab Muffin – Monetization

Monetization paths: Product affiliates, sponsored reviews, subscription content, ecommerce products

Success requirements: Dermatological knowledge, consistent product testing, high-quality photography skills


12. Productivity

Blog Niche – Productivity

Productivity has a surprisingly high CPC of $9.80—the third highest on our list.

Even better?

This blog niche has shown consistent growth across multiple timeframes:

  • 17% YoY
  • 58% over five years
  • 44% over the last decade

Clearly, our collective obsession with doing more in less time isn’t fading.

But at 93% keyword difficulty, you’ll face stiff competition from established productivity giants.

Success here demands more than rehashing the same time management tips everyone’s already heard.

Develop and test original productivity systems, create custom tools your audience can’t find elsewhere, and share firsthand stories of how you maintain productivity.

The Zen Habits blog is a stellar example of this.

Its creator focuses on habit formation from their firsthand experiences.

Like writing a novel, tripling their income, running marathons, and much more.

Zenhabits – Homepage

While the blog’s design is minimal and doesn’t feature display ads, Zen Habits has multiple monetization paths.

This includes books and a paid membership with workshops and video courses.

Zenhabits – Books

Monetization paths: Productivity app affiliates, digital planners/templates, premium courses, coaching services

Success requirements: Demonstrated personal productivity expertise, system development skills, ability to measure and communicate results


13. Real Estate Investment

Blog Niche – Real Estate Investment

Real estate investment may have plateaued in growth this year (0% YoY).

But its 10-year growth trend reveals the bigger picture:

This niche has staying power.

Exploding Topics – Real Estate Investment

But this YMYL topic is heavily gated by Google’s quality standards.

(Plus, it has a hefty 99% keyword difficulty score.)

You’ll need more than theoretical knowledge to break through.

Actual investing experience or genuine expertise is non-negotiable.

Readers in this space are often willing to invest in premium content, tools, and services that deliver real value.

Focus on creating content backed by data analysis, market research, and documented case studies of your own investments.

Transparency about both successes and failures will help establish the authenticity this space demands.

A great example in the real estate investing niche is BiggerPockets.

This blog blends real estate news and educational content with personal success stories.

Biggerpockets – Blog

BiggerPockets monetizes through multiple paid membership plans that provide added value to its target audience.

This includes investing tools for property and rent analysis, forum access, and active deal listings.

Biggerpockets – Plans

Monetization paths: Property management software affiliates, investment courses, membership communities, lead generation for services

Success requirements: Real estate investing experience, market analysis skills, understanding of investment financing


14. Financial Management

Blog Niche – Financial Management

Financial management strikes the perfect balance as an evergreen niche:

  • Healthy long-term growth: 16% YoY, 94% 5Y, 56% 10Y
  • Lower keyword difficulty: 79% (while not technically “low,” it’s not insurmountable for a financial topic)
  • Great revenue potential: $6.27

But it’s a YMYL topic, and you know what that means.

While not as impenetrable as some finance niches, you’ll still need to demonstrate clear knowledge and authority to rank well.

Niche down to specific audience segments rather than trying to cover all aspects of personal finance.

Like young professionals, small business owners, or retirees,

This will help you establish deeper expertise in a less competitive subset.

Original case studies, data analysis, and practical tools like calculators or spreadsheets provide the value that readers and search engines reward.

Mr. Money Mustache is a great example of a blog that makes financial advice accessible—and entertaining.

Their slogan is “financial freedom through badassity,” after all.

Its creator shares firsthand tips on living frugally and retiring young.

MrMoneyMustache – Homepage

Aside from a display ad or two, Mr. Money Mustache monetizes through affiliate marketing.

On “MMM Recommends,” you’ll find various product recommendations from the blog’s creator.

Including credit cards, financial trackers, and investment firms.

MrMoneyMustache – Betterment

Monetization paths: Financial product affiliates, budgeting tools, investment guides, financial planning services

Success requirements: Financial literacy, data analysis skills, ability to explain complex concepts clearly


15. Self-Care

Blog Niche – Self Care

Self-care has quietly transformed from buzzword to established niche, with impressive 250% growth over the past decade.

Plus, at 73% keyword difficulty, it offers a more approachable entry point than many top niches on our list.

The challenge?

A lower $0.98 CPC means you’ll need volume or creative monetization strategies to maximize revenue.

Success in this space comes from authentic, practical content that goes beyond generic advice.

Consider focusing on specific aspects of self-care where you can carve out your niche.

Like morning routines, digital detox strategies, or stress management techniques.

Take The Blissful Mind, a self-care blog designed for busy professionals seeking balance and mindfulness, for example.

It offers practical self-care tips and routines tailored to hectic schedules.

Blissfulmind – Homepage

As for revenue streams?

They monetize with products that naturally complement this niche: a planner, journal, and guide.

These offerings provide readers with tangible tools to put self-care into practice, reinforcing the blog’s mission while generating income.

Blissfulmind – Shop

Monetization paths: Wellness product affiliates, self-care planners/journals, guided meditation courses, digital downloads, subscription boxes

Success requirements: Personal wellness experience, consistency in practice, ability to balance science with accessibility


16. Career Development

Blog Niche – Career Development

Career development has emerged as a standout niche, with 107% growth over the past five years.

The strong growth and relatively approachable competition (61% keyword difficulty) make it an attractive option, whether you’re a new or seasoned blogger.

Specificity and actionable advice are the keys to success in this niche.

Focus on particular industries, career stages, or workplace challenges where you have firsthand experience.

Document real career transitions, share authentic workplace stories, and create practical resources.

Like resume templates and interview scripts.

For example, The Muse, a well-known career blog, shares advice on everything from skill development to team building.

They also feature company profiles and job listings.

The Muse – Homepage

When it comes to monetization, The Muse offers a variety of revenue streams designed to help readers land their dream jobs.

This includes personalized resume reviews and career coaching services.

The Muse – Our Top Services

Monetization paths: Resume services, career coaching, professional course affiliates, job board partnerships

Success requirements: Professional experience, networking abilities, understanding of hiring processes


17. Green Technology

Blog Niche – Green Technology

Green technology offers a rare combination: moderate competition (58% keyword difficulty) and solid monetization potential ($5.01 CPC).

But the relatively low search volume (1,900 monthly searches) means success hinges on attracting highly targeted, high-intent website traffic.

To make the most of this niche, focus on content that aligns with user intent.

Readers want the science behind green technology and actionable ways to reduce their carbon footprint in their own homes.

This is why product reviews will be big in this niche.

Stay ahead of emerging trends and policy changes to position your blog as a forward-thinking resource.

For example, CleanTechnica covers energy efficiency, geothermal energy, Tesla products, and more.

They also provide in-depth electric vehicle reviews.

CleanTechnica – Homepage

To monetize, CleanTechnica leverages multiple revenue streams, including display ads and an ecommerce store.

So, they can generate income while continuing to champion sustainable tech.

CleanTechnica – Organic Products

Monetization paths: Eco-friendly product affiliates, sustainable technology reviews, green living courses, consultation services

Success requirements: Environmental knowledge, technical understanding, ability to make complex innovations accessible


Pro tip: Interested in joining an ad network to monetize your blog? Pay special attention to niches with high monthly search volume. You’ll need 50,000 monthly sessions just to qualify for Mediavine, the ad platform used by 40% of bloggers earning $2K+/month (RankIQ).


18. B2C Sales

Blog Niche – B2C Sales

Business-to-consumer (B2C) sales shows promising growth (+300% over the last 10 years).

But it also has surprisingly low competition at just 32%.

This provides an accessible entry point for bloggers with B2C sales experience.

While the search volume is low (720 monthly searches), the ease of ranking makes this an attractive option.

Exploding Topics – B2C Sales

Share specific sales scripts, customer journey maps, and proven conversion optimization techniques backed by real-world experience.

Consider specializing in particular sales channels (ecommerce, retail, subscription services) or customer segments where you have hands-on experience.

With such minimal competition, you have a genuine opportunity to establish authority relatively quickly compared to more crowded niches.

Now, let’s look at a successful blog in this niche.

Sales Gravy helps sales professionals sharpen their skills, close more deals, and navigate sales slumps with confidence.

Salesgravy – New Posts

To monetize, Sales Gravy offers virtual sales workshops and online courses.

This lets them turn their expertise into valuable training resources for their audience.

Salesgravy – Virtual Workshops

Monetization paths: Sales tool affiliates, sales templates/scripts, training courses, consulting services

Success requirements: Consumer sales experience, customer psychology understanding, testing and optimization skills


19. Consumer Tech

Blog Niche – Consumer Tech

Surprised to find a tech niche with just 34% keyword difficulty?

Consumer tech has an unusually accessible entry point.

But don’t let the recent dip in YoY growth (-6%) fool you.

The 233% growth over the last 10 years demonstrates this niche’s staying power.

Exploding Topics – Consumer Tech

What sets successful tech blogs apart?

Thorough, hands-on testing that goes beyond surface-level reviews.

Anyone can summarize a spec sheet, but readers value authentic insights and detailed performance reviews.

Focus on specific product categories or user needs where you have genuine expertise rather than trying to cover the entire consumer tech landscape.

A standout example in this niche is RTINGS.

The blog features objective product testing using standardized methodologies and scoring systems.

RTING – Homepage

Run by a team of engineers, testers, technical writers, and developers, their content is high quality and trustworthy.

This credibility is essential, especially if you want to monetize product reviews through affiliate programs, as RTINGS does.

RTING – Vacuums

Monetization paths: Product affiliates, sponsored reviews, comparison guides, tech accessory partnerships

Success requirements: Technical knowledge, testing methodology, clear communication of complex features


20. Health

Blog Niche – Health

The health niche pulls in a whopping 368,000 monthly searches.

Not to mention that juicy $4.67 CPC.

Keyword Overview – Health – CPC

But don’t start drafting “10 tips for better health” articles just yet.

As a YMYL topic, health content faces Google’s toughest quality filters.

Without medical credentials or expert partnerships, you’ll struggle to gain traction.

Your best bet?

Niche down to specific health conditions where you have firsthand experience or certified knowledge.

And back everything with scientific research and insights from medical professionals.

This is what Healthline, a popular blog in the health niche, does.

Their articles are written by health writers and reviewed by medical professionals, which helps establish trust and credibility.

Healthline – Blog

To monetize, Healthline uses multiple revenue streams that align with its audience’s interests.

This includes advertising, sponsored content, and affiliate links.

Healthline – Affiliate

Monetization paths: Health product affiliates, wellness programs, supplement partnerships, telehealth referrals, digital downloads/plans

Success requirements: Medical/health credentials, research skills, ability to translate complex information responsibly


21. Books

Blog Niche – Books

What this evergreen category lacks in CPC ($0.68), it makes up for in passionate audience engagement.

(Check out that 368,000 monthly search volume).

But you’ll need a distinctive angle that sets you apart from established literary blogs to break into this competitive space.

Consider niching down to underrepresented genres, specialized reading guides for particular audiences, or unique book curation approaches.

Authentic book reviews and recommendations are crucial here. Insightful commentary and humor also work well.

For example, Book Riot stands out in this niche with diverse book coverage, literary-themed product reviews, and multiple themed newsletters.

BookRiot – Homepage

They’ve also taken a creative approach to monetization with their own book subscription box.

Curated by Book Riot editors, each box delivers hand-selected books tailored to the customer’s preferences.

TBR – Signup

Monetization paths: Book affiliate programs, product recommendations, subscription book clubs, author partnerships, premium reading guides

Success requirements: Genre expertise, analytical reading skills, consistent content production


22. Cryptocurrency

Blog Niche – Cryptocurrency

Thinking about riding the crypto wave?

This niche has skyrocketed with a mind-blowing 700% growth over the past decade.

Exploding Topics – Cryptocurrency

With 135,000 monthly searches, there’s no shortage of people hungry for crypto content.

Here’s the catch

You’re facing 100% keyword difficulty.

Google won’t let just anyone rank here—this is serious YMYL territory.

Focus on educational content that helps readers understand blockchain fundamentals or risk management strategies.

Share your personal experiences (both wins and losses) to build authenticity.

Success requires genuine expertise through technical accuracy, responsible advice, and transparent disclosure of your own involvement with digital assets.

The CoinDesk blog is a powerhouse in crypto news.

Backed by financial journalists and technical experts, they cover the latest trends, regulations, and market moves.

CoinDesk – Homepage

CoinDesk monetizes its blog with a solid mix of methods:

  • Display ads
  • Sponsored content
  • Industry events

CoinDesk – PlatON

Monetization paths: Crypto exchange affiliates, trading tool partnerships, educational courses, premium market analysis

Success requirements: Blockchain knowledge, trading experience, ability to explain complex concepts clearly


23. Remote Work

Blog Niche – Remote Work

Interest in remote work has grown steadily (460%) over the past decade.

In fact, 60,500 people search for “remote work” each month.

Exploding Topics – Remote Work

But the low $0.83 CPC isn’t ideal.

This means you’ll need more than display ads to make money in this niche.

Addresses specific challenges in your content to stand out.

Like maintaining work-life boundaries, building virtual team culture, or optimizing home office setups for different living situations.

Consider focusing on particular remote work scenarios to excel in areas with less content saturation.

Like digital nomads, hybrid teams, or specific industries.

Remote.co is a strong example of a successful blog in the remote work space.

Their blog covers content for job seekers and remote employees/leadership.

Like spotting job scams, high-paying WFH jobs, onboarding employees, and virtual collaboration tips.

Remoteco – Management

Remote.co monetizes through multiple channels.

Including paid memberships for job seekers looking for their next remote opportunity.

Remoteco – Payment

Monetization paths: Remote work tool affiliates, sponsored content, productivity courses, virtual team training, home office equipment partnerships

Success requirements: Remote work experience, productivity system knowledge, ability to document effective practices


24. Web Design

Blog Niche – Web Design

Looking to capitalize on a niche with serious earning potential?

Web design has an impressive $8.84 CPC—the fourth highest on our list.

Recent trends show encouraging growth: 31% over two years.

Exploding Topics – Web Design

And the 49,500 monthly searches indicate plenty of audience interest.

But breaking into this high-competition space (96% keyword difficulty) requires demonstrating legitimate design expertise.

You can’t fake it here.

To stand out, share your actual processes and projects.

And create tutorials that show your personal approach to design problems.

Stay current with emerging design trends and technologies to maintain credibility in this field.

A standout in the web design space, the blog CSS-Tricks delivers practical advice and in-depth design problem-solving articles.

CSS Tricks – Homepage

Owned by cloud service provider DigitalOcean, CSS-Tricks helps funnel leads to its parent company’s products.

Including Cloudways, a web hosting provider.

It also generates revenue through sponsorship opportunities.

CSS Tricks – Blog

Monetization paths: Design tool affiliates, premium templates, UI kits, design courses, logo and designer tools, client referral programs

Success requirements: Web design portfolio, technical knowledge, visual communication skills


25. Passive Income

Blog Niche – Passive Income

Dreaming of making money while you sleep?

You’re not alone—passive income has seen 115% growth over the past decade with 49,500 monthly searches.

Exploding Topics – Passive Income

But just regurgitating what’s already out there won’t cut it.

Readers (and search engines) want to see that you know what you’re talking about.

Document your actual passive income streams with real numbers and transparent insights.

In a niche filled with get-rich-quick schemes, your authentic experiences and realistic expectations will build trust that keeps readers coming back.

The Smart Passive Income blog is a long-time favorite in this space.

Its content helps readers become entrepreneurs and build passive income streams for sustainable success.

Smart Passive Income – Online Business

But Smart Passive Income isn’t just about advice—it’s a business itself.

They monetize through multiple channels:

  • Paid community with workshops and masterminds
  • SaaS tools
  • Live events
  • Affiliate marketing

Smart Passive Income – Resources

Monetization paths: Business tool affiliates, premium courses, membership communities, downloadable resources

Success requirements: Proven income streams, financial transparency, systems development experience


Your Next Move: Bring Your Blog Idea to Life

The best blog niche ideas aren’t the ones with the biggest numbers—it’s where your expertise meets market opportunity.

Before you commit, ask yourself:

  • Do you have real knowledge in this area?
  • Can you consistently create content here?
  • Does the monetization align with your goals?

Remember: Differentiation beats competition every time.


Ready to bring your blog idea to life?

Learn how to start a blog with our step-by-step guide, including a 12-month action plan and downloadable checklist.

The post 25 Best Blog Niche Ideas <br>(Data Study) appeared first on Backlinko.

Read more at Read More

Answer engine optimization: 6 AI models you should optimize for

How to evolve your organic approach for the rise of the answer engine

AI-powered search is drastically changing the way people find information. For years, ranking well in Google and Microsoft Bing has been the foundation of search visibility.

But as AI-driven search gains traction, is that ranking priority shifting or staying the same? 

We’re in an era of uncertainty we haven’t seen since the early days of SEO – when search engines rose and fell in a battle for relevance.

Time will tell which AI answer engine wins the game. SEO is still relevant, but AI is rewriting the rules.

This article will break down: 

  • Six AI search players to watch and how they source content.
  • Market share and usage trends that show where search behavior is shifting.
  • How AI answer engines still depend on traditional search engines.
  • What businesses should do now to optimize for AI-driven search.

 Here’s what you need to know.

AI models and real-time search 

Before we move forward, a quick note on how these AI platforms generally work. AI models are trained on data available up to specific cutoff dates. 

For instance, Google’s Gemini 2.0 Pro had a knowledge cutoff in August 2024, while OpenAI’s GPT-4o extended its training data up to June 2024. Yes, it can change daily.

This means that for recent events or emerging trends, among other things, these models rely on real-time data retrieval rather than their internal knowledge base. 

In other words, their ability to provide accurate and up-to-date results is directly tied to their ability to access and process new information from the web. That is key.

Another thing to note is that AI search engines can build their own web indexes. 

For instance, Perplexity AI’s PerplexityBot crawls the web directly, creating its own content database rather than relying on Google’s or Bing’s indexes. But even so, AI search engines can and do still rely on search engine results, too.

Website owners who want to control how AI search engines access their content can manage these crawlers in their robots.txt settings.

Now let’s discuss the different ways AI search engines are relevant to SEO today.

Google: AI Overviews

AI Overviews represented a huge shift in Google Search.  

Google’s AI-generated responses – powered by Google’s Gemini AI model – are designed to provide quick but comprehensive answers by pulling information from multiple sources.

For SEO professionals, this introduced both opportunities and challenges. 

AI Overviews rely on Google’s search index to determine what information to present, but they also change how users interact with search results.

Google AI Overview result for [how will AI overviews impact SEO]

How AI Overviews work

  • Google’s Gemini 2.0 AI model powers AI Overviews, generating instant summaries for certain queries.
  • AI-generated responses appear at the top of Google’s search results, often before traditional organic listings.

Market share and adoption

  • Google still dominates the search market, holding about 87.28% of the U.S. search market.
  • With billions of searches per day, AI Overviews have the potential to reshape organic search traffic and user behavior.

What this means for SEO

  • Ranking in Google still matters – AI Overviews primarily pull from the search results.
  • A study by Rich Sanger and Authoritas found that 46% of AI Overview citations come from the top 10 organic search results.
  • Anecdotal data from my SEO agency suggests you need to be in the top 20 for a better chance of inclusion in AI Overviews. There are outliers, and some resources cited in AI Overviews will rank outside of what we would traditionally call “being ranked at all.” 
  • Inclusion in AI Overviews can boost clicks to the cited sources and, according to some research, harm performance for those that don’t show up. For instance, for transactional queries, webpages included in AI Overviews had 3.2 times as many clicks as pages that were excluded. For informational queries, webpages with a presence in AI Overviews had 1.5 times as many clicks compared to webpages excluded by AI Overviews.
  • If your content doesn’t rank well in Google, it’s unlikely to appear in AI Overviews, reinforcing the need for strong SEO. There are many opinions on which tactics you need to succeed. I advocate continuing to stay the course with a strong SEO program with a balanced mix of technical SEO, on-page optimization and excellent content.
  • Website owners can control whether their content is included in AI-generated answers. Google-Extended is an opt-out setting that allows websites to block Google from using their content for AI models like Gemini, while still allowing Googlebot to crawl their site for search rankings. Blocking Google-Extended won’t affect your rankings in Google Search, but it will stop Gemini from using your content in AI-generated responses. 
  • Take note: Research shows that inclusion in AI Overviews can be more volatile than the organic search results. 

Takeaway: AI Overviews aren’t replacing traditional search, but they are changing how search results are consumed. For now, the strategy remains the same: Optimize for Google Search, and AI Overviews will follow.

Google: AI Mode

In March 2025, Google announced AI Mode, an optional feature designed to offer a more AI-driven search experience. 

Unlike standard Google Search, where AI Overviews appear alongside organic results, AI Mode allows users to toggle into a search environment where AI-generated answers take center stage.

Image credit: The Keyword blog, Google

How AI Mode works

  • A separate search option where AI-generated responses are more detailed, conversational, and visually enhanced. Reminiscent of Bing’s Copilot toggle.
  • AI Mode “brings together advanced model capabilities with Google’s best-in-class information systems, and it’s built right into Search. You can not only access high-quality web content, but also tap into fresh, real-time sources like the Knowledge Graph, info about the real world, and shopping data for billions of products. It uses a ‘query fan-out’ technique, issuing multiple related searches concurrently across subtopics and multiple data sources and then brings those results together to provide an easy-to-understand response,” according to Google (announcement link above). 
  • Google told Search Engine Land that, like AI Overviews, AI Mode surfaces relevant links to help people find webpages and content, and that Google teaches the model to decide when to include hyperlinks in the response. For example, if it’s likely that users want to take action on a website (like booking tickets), then links would be useful. AI mode will also decide when to prioritize visual information, such as images or videos, for queries like how-to searches.

What this means for SEO 

  • Google says that AI Mode “is rooted in our core quality and ranking systems, and we’re also using novel approaches with the model’s reasoning capabilities to improve factuality. We aim to show an AI-powered response as much as possible, but in cases where we don’t have high confidence in helpfulness and quality, the response will be a set of web search results.”
  • AI Mode is now in testing. Whether it will impact click-through rates in the same way as AI Overviews remains to be seen. 

Takeaway: AI Mode signals an ongoing shift towards AI-dominated search results. For now, we can assume that the importance of ranking well in traditional search remains the same.

Dig deeper. Google’s AI Mode: Here’s what matters for SEOs and marketers

Google: Gemini

Gemini is Google’s competitor to ChatGPT and other generative AI tools. Gemini functions as both an independent chatbot and the power behind AI Overviews in Google Search.

Over the coming months, Google plans to upgrade virtually all Assistant-enabled devices – from phones to smart home gadgets – to use Gemini as the default assistant.

This shift shows Google’s long-term commitment to AI as a core part of search and user interactions.

How Gemini works

  • Gemini pulls from Google search results and third-party content partners (for example, AP) to generate responses, integrating search rankings into its answers. 
  • Gemini can also personalize results based on a user’s Google search history, YouTube activity, and app usage, making responses adaptive rather than purely search-driven.

Market share and adoption

  • According to Statista, Gemini ranks No. 3 on the most downloaded gen AI apps globally as of January 2025, with approximately 9 million downloads.
  • Similarweb data shows that the majority of users are aged 25 to 34 (approximately 30%), with the second highest usage among 18- to 24-year-olds at about 21%.
Image credit: gemini.google.com analysis, Similarweb

What this means for SEO

  • Ranking in Google Search is still crucial, but there’s more. Gemini pulls from Google’s search index, but it also sources data from content partnerships.
  • Consider content that’s optimized for natural language queries, structured data to help enhance context and education-focused content (where teaching something is front and center).
  • When Gemini personalizes responses based on user history, visibility in Gemini answers may vary between users. For example, if a user frequently engages with a particular brand’s YouTube channel, Gemini might be more inclined to mention or draw from that brand’s content when that user asks a related question. 
  • Click-through rates from Gemini remain uncertain, as Gemini doesn’t always provide direct links. Gemini comes in third for referral traffic as compared to ChatGPT and Perplexity, according to one study. 

Takeaway: Visibility in Gemini means business as usual in terms of having an excellent site that can rank in Google Search, but it also adds complexity with Gemini’s AI-driven personalization and conversational search trends. 

Microsoft: Bing Copilot

Bing was the first major search engine to integrate AI directly into its results, launching Bing Copilot (formerly Bing Chat) in February 2023. It’s no surprise Bing beat Google here, as Microsoft has been a big investor in OpenAI since 2019.

How Bing Copilot works

  • Powered by Microsoft’s Prometheus model, which builds on OpenAI’s GPT-4.
  • Generates AI summaries based on real-time Bing search results and external data sources.
  • AI-generated responses appear at the top of search results, sometimes before traditional web listings.
  • You can also click on “Deep Search” for more in-depth AI-powered answers. These answers are also linked to sources found on the web. 
  • In addition, there’s a Copilot toggle in Bing for a more interactive, fully powered AI search mode.

Market share and adoption

  • Bing accounts for about 7.48% of the U.S. search market.
  • While small compared to Google, it’s possible that Bing’s market share may grow more in the future due to its early adoption of AI-powered search and the reliance of other AI platforms on Bing results.

What this means for SEO

  • Unlike Google’s AI Overviews, Bing Copilot is more likely to cite sources outside the top-ranked pages, but ranking higher still increases the likelihood of inclusion.
  • A study by Rich Sanger found that over 70% of URLs included in Bing Copilot summaries rank in the top 20 Bing search results.
  • Bing may present a growing opportunity as AI search adoption increases. 

Takeaway: Bing may no longer be just an afterthought in many companies’ SEO strategies. You’ll want to continue to have a robust SEO program that takes into account ranking signals for Bing.

OpenAI: ChatGPT Search

ChatGPT search is OpenAI’s initiative to enhance traditional search by integrating AI-powered real-time web search into ChatGPT. 

It was initially launched as the SearchGPT prototype in mid-2024 and later integrated into ChatGPT, allowing users to access live search capabilities rather than relying solely on pre-trained knowledge.

By October, OpenAI fully integrated SearchGPT into ChatGPT, enabling it to perform real-time web searches and provide more current, sourced information for user queries.

This positioned ChatGPT search as a direct competitor to traditional search engines, offering users an AI-powered alternative to platforms like Google and Bing. 

But here’s the kicker: It still relies on search engine results.

How ChatGPT search works

  • Powered by a fine-tuned version of GPT-4o, post-trained using synthetic data-generation techniques. This includes distilling outputs from OpenAI’s o1-preview model, meaning some responses are AI-synthesized rather than directly retrieved from the web.
  • SearchGPT pulls data from multiple sources, including third-party search providers like Bing and direct content partnerships that supply proprietary information.

Market share and adoption

  • ChatGPT is the most widely used text generation AI tool, holding nearly 20% of the global generative AI user share in 2023, according to Statista.
  • ChatGPT’s weekly active user base doubled in six months, with 400 million weekly active users now relying on its search capabilities, according to TechCrunch.
Image credit: “Leading generative artificial intelligence (AI) text tools market share of users globally in 2023,” Statista.com

What this means for SEO

  • Since SearchGPT relies on Bing’s indexing system, ensuring your content ranks in Bing is essential. Content not indexed by Bing is unlikely to appear in SearchGPT’s responses. 
  • Chatter in the SEO industry suggests that SearchGPT might favor trusted, high-ranking sources in Bing but that it also relies on sources outside the top rankings in Bing.
  • SearchGPT’s responses can include clickable sources, potentially driving traffic back to a site. A study analyzing traffic data from 391 SMB websites found that ChatGPT’s referral traffic increased by 123% between September 2024 and February 2025, making it the largest referrer among AI-driven search engines during that period. Additionally, ChatGPT has been sending more traffic to education and technology sites, with more than 30,000 unique domains receiving referrals by November 2024.
  • The conversational nature of ChatGPT is changing how users search and consume information. Continuing to emphasize helpful content can only make a website more competitive. 
  • In the early days of SEO, search engines were highly susceptible to simple manipulation tactics. Similarly, ChatGPT’s AI-powered search may be vulnerable to manipulation, with tests showing that it could be influenced to return misleading or biased results.

Takeaway: ChatGPT could be the biggest threat to search engine usage. However, SearchGPT’s reliance on Bing means SEO strategies must prioritize Bing to improve the chances of being surfaced in AI-generated results as well.

Perplexity AI 

Perplexity AI is an independent, AI-powered search engine that blends large language models with real-time web data to provide concise AI-powered responses with direct citations. 

The citations piece is probably one of the more compelling things about Perplexity. 

In an interview with Lex Fridman, Perplexity’s founder Aravind Srinivas said:

  • “When I wrote my first paper, the senior people who were working with me on the paper told me this one profound thing, which is that every sentence you write in a paper should be backed with a citation, with a citation from another peer-reviewed paper, or an experimental result in your own paper. Anything else that you say in the paper is more like an opinion.
  • “It’s a simple statement, but pretty profound in how much it forces you to say things that are only right.
  • “We took this principle and asked ourselves, what is the best way to make chatbots accurate, is force it to only say things that it can find on the internet, and find from multiple sources.” 

Launched in late 2022, it has positioned itself as an alternative and direct competitor to traditional search engines like Google. 

How Perplexity works

  • Perplexity AI operates as an independent search engine, actively crawling and indexing the web to provide real-time, AI-generated responses to user queries. 
  • Instead of building a massive index like Google’s, Perplexity prioritizes indexing high-quality, frequently searched topics based on user behavior. By focusing on trusted and helpful sources, it optimizes for accuracy and truthfulness while maintaining efficiency.
  • Each response includes direct source links, differentiating Perplexity from AI chatbots that provide answers without attribution.

Market share and adoption

What this means for SEO

  • Perplexity relies on trusted sources from the web. This means you must have an authoritative presence on the web.
  • One study showed that 60% of Perplexity citations overlap with the top 10 Google organic results.
  • Other research indicates that Perplexity has a group of favored, authoritative sources on the web to pull from.
  • Because Perplexity is an independent search engine, ranking factors will be different from Google or Bing. 
  • Content formatted in a certain way may have a leg up, including clear headings, well-organized sections and succinct answers like FAQs embedded in your content—all of which can be quickly understood and extracted by Perplexity’s model.​
  • While Perplexity links to sources, data suggests referral traffic is still quite low

Takeaway: Perplexity AI is another contender that could continue to gain traction in AI search and take users away from major search engines. It’s important to remember that it still relies on sources across the web, making an authoritative site with the right content optimized for AI an important step in visibility. 

The future of AI search and SEO

While some predict that the rise of AI will reduce search engine volume significantly (Gartner predicts a 25% drop by 2026), the importance of having a reputable website with trustworthy, optimized content remains critical for the foreseeable future. 

Time will tell which AI wins the game. With many AI platforms facing legal challenges (like Google’s AI Overviews and Perplexity’s lawsuits), legal decisions will also likely shape the winners and how AI search ultimately operates.

So, which AI search engine should you optimize for right now? 

I suggest gathering research on the potential for referral traffic and the audience demographics using the AI search engine. Does it align with your industry and business? 

For those AI search engines that require “extra SEO effort” on top of what you’re already doing, make sure it’s worth it. Track your referral traffic to see if any patterns emerge.

We know that Google is the dominant search engine, so continuing to optimize for Google is key. 

The situation is not perfect, however. While some websites report clicks are up from things like AI Overviews, others are losing big time.

For example, research shows that for queries where AI Overviews appeared in Google, organic CTR fell sharply from 1.41% to 0.64% year over year. 

Image credit: Seer Interactive

On the other hand, a different study looking specifically at AI search engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and others found that they send 96% less referral traffic to news sites and blogs than traditional Google Search.

Emarketer data echoes this:

Image credit: emarketer

Some data already suggest a basic hierarchy of referral traffic coming from certain AI search engines. 

For example, one study found ChatGTP to be a clear winner in referral traffic overall, but things fluctuate based on industry.

Image credit: “SMB websites see rising traffic from ChatGPT and other AI engines,” William Kammer, Search Engine Land

Image credit: “SMB websites see rising traffic from ChatGPT and other AI engines,” William Kammer, Search Engine Land

As we continue to see all this play out, we can relax knowing that the fundamentals of SEO are not going away. 

Yes, the approach may change, but the foundation is the same: Put the user first, make a great website that’s optimized for the platforms your target audience uses, and continue to adapt to the different ways you can remain visible in search.

Read more at Read More

SEO execution: Understanding goals, strategy, and planning

SEO management: Understanding goals, strategy, and planning

SEO is something of a nebulous concept.

To some, SEO is technical; to others, it is creative. 

Neither of these is 100% right or wrong. 

SEO is all of this and more, depending entirely on the unique situation and goals of the business looking to use SEO.

This loose definition leads to some common and fairly troublesome issues. 

One of these issues, which we see repeatedly and completely derails the success of projects – even by experienced agencies – is the misunderstanding between SEO strategy and SEO planning.

This article defines these terms and shows a simple way to ensure both strategy and planning are tackled with the rigor that the modern, hyper-competitive search environment demands.

Even Google is confused 

The problem here is that Google does not really understand quality.

It knows what people click on. It understands specific authors, sites, and other traditional SEO metrics to help stack the deck.

However, Google does not enforce the true denotation of words in search results and often leans into common misconceptions.

What I am trying to say here is that Google gives people what they want and, by doing so, often accentuates issues where the meaning of a word has shifted.

SEO strategy is a perfect example.

A search here shows many posts optimized around “SEO strategy,” but none of them actually talk about SEO strategy in any detail (or at all).

What they really talk about is SEO goals and SEO planning.

The fact is that almost the entire first page of results conflates strategy with planning – even the AI Overview gets it wrong.

This leads businesses to focus on tactics without a clear overarching strategic vision.

The result?

Well, bad results for most (other than those hawking to rank for SEO strategy).

Why does this matter?

Am I just some pedant upset that the things returned are not truly relevant?

Well, maybe a little bit.

But, more importantly, I believe there is an opportunity for many hidden in the fog of this issue.

SEO (or any marketing) needs to deliver results.

However, when SEO is approached without clear distinctions between goals, strategy, and planning, efforts become reactive rather than proactive.

Businesses chase keywords and rankings rather than trying to offer something new and unique.

This leads to a hamster wheel of tactical SEO rather than building strategic and sustainable long-term visibility.

A better way forward: Goals, strategy, and planning

A solid SEO approach follows a simple, logical three-step sequence:

  • Define the goal: Where do we want to go?
  • Craft the strategy: How will we get there?
  • Develop the plan: What steps do we need to take?

By structuring SEO efforts this way, you can avoid aimless execution and instead build an intentional, well-structured approach to search visibility.

The rest of this article will show you how to tackle this differently and help steer your efforts toward long-term sustainable growth rather than short-term tactical wins.

First, some important definitions

We started by discussing a common misuse of the word “strategy” and how this leads to the strategy being overlooked. 

Before we proceed, I feel it is useful to clarify the terms we use quickly so there are no misunderstandings.

This is denotation vs. connotation – the real meaning of a word vs. the common misunderstanding.

SEO

At its core, search engine optimization is about improving a website’s visibility in search engines to maximize visibility and attract organic traffic.

It involves a mix of technical improvements, content creation, and authority building efforts.

However, SEO efforts can be fragmented and ineffective without clear goals and a structured approach.

Goals: Where do we want to get to?

A goal is a destination – the ultimate outcome you want to achieve.

Goals should be defined with rigor to ensure they are realistic and will bring value.

Your SEO goals should be clear, measurable, and aligned with business objectives.

The SMART goals frameworkis a powerful way to achieve this.

Some common SEO goals include:

  • Increasing organic traffic by 50% over the next 12 months.
  • Ranking in the top three results for high-intent keywords.
  • Reducing dependency on paid search by driving more organic leads.
  • Improving conversion rates from organic traffic.

Without a clear, well-defined goal, SEO efforts are aimless – like going on a road trip without knowing the destination.

Likewise, bad goals will suck up time, resources, and money and fail to deliver.

So make sure to set strong and purposeful goals.

SEO strategy: How do we get there?

A strategy is the big-picture approach to achieving the goal.

If SEO were a game of chess, the strategy would be your playbook for winning.

It’s not about specific moves but the overarching plan that dictates how you respond to opportunities and challenges.

A strong SEO strategy is unique to the business and considers:

  • Competitive positioning: Are we fighting in a “red ocean” (highly competitive markets) or carving out a “blue ocean” (untapped opportunities)?
  • Audience intent: Are we targeting informational queries, transactional searches, or brand-driven traffic?
  • Content differentiation: How will our content stand out and provide unique value?
  • Authority building: Will we focus on link-building, PR, or thought leadership?

For example, if a SaaS company wants to dominate organic search, its SEO strategy might focus on thought leadership and topical authority rather than just ranking for high-volume keywords.

SEO planning: The specifics of the journey

Planning is where the tactical details come into play. It’s the nuts and bolts – everything from optimizing page titles to a full step-by-step breakdown of how to execute the strategy.

An SEO plan may include:

  • Conducting keyword research
  • Optimizing existing content
  • Building a backlink acquisition strategy
  • Developing a content calendar
  • Implementing technical SEO fixes

Think of planning as the navigation system that breaks your strategy down into actionable steps.

Get the newsletter search marketers rely on.



A structured approach to SEO

To ensure SEO efforts are well-structured:

  • Set solid goals: Define the destination (where you want to be).
  • Craft a unique strategy: Choose the best route based on competition, industry, and brand positioning.
  • Create a simple plan: Lay out the specific steps to execute the strategy effectively.

This approach can be applied to an existing site with historical SEO or used before a new website is built to help maximize SEO success.

Let’s break down the three steps below – goals, strategy, and planning.

Step 1: Set solid goals

Clear, measurable goals provide direction. Instead of saying, “We want to increase traffic,” set a goal like:

  • Increase organic leads by 30% in the next six months.

This clarity helps align efforts across content, technical SEO, and link building.

Dig deeper: How to create SMART SEO goals (with examples)

Step 2: Craft a unique strategy

Strategy is not a checklist.

It’s a guiding principle that dictates decision-making.

It is about carving out a unique approach rather than following what competitors are doing.

For example, your SEO strategy might focus on:

  • Finding content angles or formats that no one else is using
  • Creating a new category of content rather than competing in existing spaces
  • Developing a distinctive voice or perspective that becomes a competitive advantage

SEO strategy should always differentiate your content and brand within search.

If competitors shift tactics or Google updates its algorithms, your strategy should remain adaptable while keeping your unique value intact.

You should be able to answer the questions:

  • Why does this deserve to rank?
  • Do we stand out from the crowd and offer something new and unique?

Often, this uniqueness could be just combining things that others do or using new formats.

This is the most difficult part of the job. It requires research and careful thought.

Surveying customers to gain insight will also help you craft something unique and valuable.

Some tools that can help:

Step 3: Create a simple plan

The plan should be actionable and prioritized, breaking down SEO efforts into:

  • Short-term actions: Quick wins like optimizing title tags.
  • Mid-term actions: Content production and link building.
  • Long-term initiatives: Authority building and brand signals.

The plan’s primary goal is to break down what needs to be done into manageable small jobs. 

Then, allocate these according to your available resources with timelines so you can keep track of what is (or is not) happening.

Don’t overcomplicate this, and remember that a simple, well-executed plan always beats a complex, poorly executed one.

Here’s a simple guide to creating a simple, one-page SEO plan:

Final thoughts

If there is one thing you take from this article, please let it be this:

  • Strategy is not planning, and planning is not strategy.

SEO strategy is the big picture that defines why your content should rank and outperform competitors.

While planning involves specific tactics like keyword research or content updates, strategy is about positioning your site as the best answer for user queries for a specific reason (the strategy).

This is not to say that standard SEO planning and tactics are not important.

Not at all.

Rather, by having this all backed up by a strategy, you maximize the chance that you will generate and sustain the results you are looking for.

Ultimately, SEO strategy is about why your site deserves to rank, not just how to optimize it.

Thinking strategically about marketing in general and how that relates to SEO will help you stand out and provide useful feedback on the product and service strategy.

The key is to remember that SEO success isn’t just about performing SEO tasks – it’s about approaching them with the clarity and structure provided by strategy.

  • Goals define the destination.
  • Strategy determines the best path to the destination.
  • Planning breaks the journey into actionable steps.

Implementing this structured approach can avoid wasted efforts, allow you to focus on what truly moves the needle, and build long-term organic growth.

This is better than the blind chasing of rankings and random acts of SEO that seem to characterize most campaigns.

Define your goal, craft a winning strategy, and execute a focused plan.

That is the kind of strategic SEO that gets results.

Read more at Read More

What is Shopify and why choose it as your ecommerce platform?

Shopify is one of the most impressive internet success stories. According to BuiltWith, the Canadian ecommerce giant now powers almost five million stores worldwide. Merchants choose it for its ease of use, robust features, scalability, and cost-effectiveness. Let’s go over the main reasons for choosing Shopify.

What is Shopify and what does it do?

Shopify is an ecommerce platform that has everything under one roof. It’s a cloud-based solution that lets merchants create, customize, and manage online stores without issues. Shopify focuses heavily on ease of use and functionality, and with the thought of having businesses run an online business without technical expertise. 

The CMS has quickly become one of the most popular ecommerce platforms. For instance, it dominates the US market, with a market share of around 30%. It helps by easily serving businesses of all shapes and sizes, from small startups to large enterprises. 

Choosing the right ecommerce platform is critical to your online success. There are many good reasons to choose Shopify, as it’s versatile, user-friendly, and scalable. It’s a good solution for most businesses and even has an app store with tools like Yoast SEO for Shopify that help you with your content marketing and SEO efforts.

Primary features and services of Shopify

One of Shopify’s main features is hosting and scalability. As a managed hosting solution, the platform offers fast and reliable performance for your pages. Its infrastructure can handle traffic spikes and high-demand sales peaks like those during Black Friday sales. 

Next, it is well-known for its template and customization options. The theme store has over 240 themes, all of which are mobile-friendly. You even get a selection of industry-specific themes to help businesses get online quickly. 

Another strong aspect of the platform is its tools section and how it integrates with nearly everything. The app store has almost any app you need, from Shopify SEO tools like Yoast SEO to inventory management options. This breadth of options is very impressive. 

Lastly, the CMS makes it easy to manage payments and financial transactions. It runs its own payment gateway, Shopify Payments, but it also supports various third-party payment processors. 

These options together form a fully formed product that helps merchants with everything from server management to brand building and marketing. No wonder so many merchants choose Shopify as their ecommerce platform. 

How does Shopify work?

Shopify’s intuitive platform makes starting and running an ecommerce store very easy. It doesn’t matter if you sell just one product or thousands — the software makes it accessible for every type of merchant. 

Simple setup process

One of Shopify’s most impressive aspects is the setup. Entrepreneurs can literally launch an online store within a few hours — without prior technical know-how. The platform offers easy-to-use tools that work by simply dragging and dropping elements. In addition, it offers user-friendly walkthroughs to guide merchants through the process. There are pre-built themes to get started with quickly, and buying premium themes from the Theme Store is also possible.

Effortless management

Shopify has a clearly organized admin dashboard. Store owners can track orders, manage inventory, and check customer data in a single place. Merchants also enjoy the automation features. For instance, it automatically calculates taxes, handles shipping integrations, and manages checkout processes — a huge time saver!

Of course, as we live in the mobile age, the platform offers mobile app access. Merchants can manage their stores on the go, so they don’t have to miss anything when they are out and about. We’ve already mentioned that the store themes all scale with and perform properly on mobile devices. 

All of these possibilities make Shopify a very good solution for most stores. Even a solo entrepreneur can build and manage a professional store without issues. This makes it a far more accessible option than platforms like WooCommerce or Adobe Commerce.

7 Key benefits of choosing Shopify

The ecommerce platforms’ impressive features, scalability, and customer-centric design stand out. Here are some key reasons merchants choose Shopify as their preferred ecommerce platform. 

1. The user-friendly interface

Time and time again, merchants mention that the clean, intuitive interface is the most important reason for choosing this ecommerce platform. It’s one of the most user-friendly e-commerce builders out there, and it’s intuitive for beginners and powerful for experienced users. 

Shopify has an innovative drag-and-drop builder that lets merchants customize the store layout and product pages without coding. The admin interface is clearly organized and simple, even for non-developers. Thanks to the guided setup and well-designed templates, business owners can quickly move from concept to live store. In addition, the admin panel gives an easy-to-understand overview of the store’s performance so merchants can manage orders and inventory without issues.

image showing the theme editor interface of shopify, one of the main reasons to choose it
Shopify’s easy-to-use interface makes it a joy to work with

2. Shopify AI Magic

One of the newest benefits is Shopify Magic, an AI-powered solution that makes work easier and more fun. For instance, it has an image editor that automatically cleans up and optimizes product images, and a content generation tool that uses generative AI to write FAQs, product descriptions, and blogs. Email improvements also help dynamically tailor email campaigns for higher engagement rates.

It also has Sidekick, an AI assistant that can help you get more done in your store. This chatbot answers all your questions and advises you on your specific situation, as it knows everything about your store. As a result, you have more time to focus on important things like strategy.

3. Flexible and scalable

Another big benefit of choosing Shopify as an ecommerce platform is its flexibility and scalability. The CMS can grow with a merchant and offers options for large and small businesses. 

It has an affordable pricing structure. The $29/month plan helps small businesses get online quickly without investing too much. For large businesses, there’s Shopify Plus, which supports global enterprise brands like Heinz and Gymshark. This plan offers advanced features like a multi-store setup, custom checkout-out options, and very high API limits. The platform is also very proud of its 99.98% uptime guarantee, which keeps stores online even in the busiest seasons. 

4. Integrated payment solutions

Another big advantage is the streamlined payment process for clients worldwide. Shopify Payments, a built-in payment system, eliminates the need for third-party gateways at no extra cost and no set-up fees. Additionally, it supports over a hundred payment integrations, including Stripe and PayPal.

5. Robust app ecosystem

Shopify is a very extendable ecommerce platform. It has an excellent app store, where developers offer a wide range of good apps that improve and expand what the CMS can do. Currently, over 10,000 apps are available in the app store, and new ones are arriving daily. 

Many of these apps integrate deeply with the CMS, allowing marketing automation and personalization that can increase sales. Merchants can install apps to recover abandoned carts, upsell related products, or integrate with CRM and advertising platforms.

Merchants can find apps for nearly everything. Some of the most popular ones are Oberlo for dropshipping, Klaviya and Mailchimp for email marketing, Judge.me and Loox for product and store reviews, and PageFly for building custom landing pages.

This extendability helps merchants scale their work whenever they need it most. 

an example of a search result for shopify apps related to email marketing
Shopify has over 10.000 apps in its app store

6. Comprehensive support

Running an online store is difficult enough without having to worry about technical issues. Luckily, the platform helps remove that worry with 24/7 technical and customer support. Merchants can access professional assistance via live chat, email, or phone. In addition, it offers loads of learning material in the form of Shopify Academy, community forums, and tutorials. Business owners can quickly learn to make the most of their online stores. 

7. Yoast SEO for Shopify

The ecommerce CMS comes with all merchants need to run their stores, including tools to improve search engine visibility. While SEO is always in its mind, it is good to think beyond the basics that the e-commerce platform offers. Getting traffic is too important to leave it to chance. 

Yoast SEO for Shopify is the perfect tool for merchants looking to get that traffic. This app is built by a team of SEO experts with decades of experience. Yoast SEO has innovative features like real-time SEO suggestions, helping you optimize your pages and products with actionable insights. Or enhanced structured data for your products to make these stand out in Google. 

Yoast SEO also helps you write better product content. Enter your focus keyword and use the feedback to make your product descriptions stand out. A readability analysis also helps you make the content as readable for your customers as possible. There’s a Semrush integration to get keyword data from the editor and AI-powered features to automate some parts of the optimization process. 

Combining Shopify’s framework with Yoast SEO makes your store accessible to search engines and customers.

Optimize your products with Yoast SEO to make them stand out

Unique selling points

Shopify has a lot going for it as an ecommerce platform, and there are more things it does to stay ahead of the competition. 

Multi-channel selling

One reason Shopify could be chosen over the competition is its ability to sell across multiple channels. Multi-channel options allow merchants to sell their products on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, with all the management and insights happening on the main dashboard. It also has point-of-sale options that help merchants offer in-store sales and integrate online and offline. 

The CMS can sync listings to third-party platforms like Amazon, eBay, or Google Shopping, increasing merchants’ visibility. The platform also has many more options for going omnichannel with your store, which makes it a great fit for managing everything all at once. 

Strong security and reliability

Trust is an important aspect of ecommerce. Merchants need to trust ecommerce platforms with their data and trust that they keep it safe and sound. Luckily, Shopify is working hard to provide store owners with a secure shopping environment. It is certified Level 1 PCI-DSS compliant, the highest level of payment security standard, which helps protect customer data. It also has built-in fraud detection features that minimize the risk of chargeback. 

Compared to hosted platforms like WooCommerce, Shopify automatically handles almost every security aspect. This gives merchants peace of mind that their customer’s data is safe.

Considerations before choosing

Shopify is an all-around great ecommerce platform, but there are some things to remember when merchants choose between the many other options. Its pricing is decent, with basic monthly plans starting at $29. Still, the cost can add up when you want to add apps, third-party integrations or want to have a custom theme developed. However, the CMS is often easier to set up and cheaper to run than platforms like Adobe Commerce.

Another consideration is the platform’s limitations. Shopify is closed software, so store owners have limited code access. WordPress solutions like WooCommerce might be better if openness is an issue.

These are the main reasons to choose Shopify

Shopify provides a great combination of ease of use, scalability, and features that help merchants thrive. Whether you run a simple store with a small budget or juggle millions of dollars, the commerce platform has the necessary solutions. It grows with your needs and offers you many options and possibilities to make the most of your business. Moreover, if you add Yoast SEO for Shopify to your store, you can boost visibility on Google, hopefully translating to more traffic and business growth.

So, why wait? Sign up for a free trial, add Yoast SEO to your store, and get your business on the road!

The post What is Shopify and why choose it as your ecommerce platform? appeared first on Yoast.

Read more at Read More

Bing Webmaster Tools Search Performance reports gains comparisons

Microsoft has added the ability to compare date ranges within the Search Performance report in Bing Webmaster Tools. This allows you to compare metrics and data points such as clicks, impressions, CTR, keywords, and pages across various date ranges.

What Microsoft said. Microsoft wrote:

“These enhancements enable in-depth analysis, providing invaluable insights for optimizing online presence and improving visibility. This means businesses can now make more informed decisions, identify key trends, and effectively adjust their marketing strategies to achieve better results.”

Microsoft also made user experience improvements in time filters, the company added.

What it looks like. Here is a screenshot showing the new “compare” option in the Search Performance report in Bing Webmaster Tools:

Why is this helpful. Microsoft posted a few ways these comparisons helps you, including:

  • Identifying key trends and patterns
  • Evaluating the effectiveness of their marketing campaigns
  • Gaining insights from seasonal search data
  • Setting benchmarks and goals using historical data
  • Identifying areas for improvement in search performance

Why we care. Google has offered comparing data in Search Console for a while, plus all the third-party tools offer this.

But now you can compare this data directly in Bing Webmaster Tools without having to export this data to a third-party tool. This should save you a lot of time, by not having to use another tool to compare your Bing Search data.

Read more at Read More

How to use Google Search Console for keyword research

How to use Google Search Console for keyword research

When it comes to keyword research, SEO professionals often rely on expensive tools to find the right keywords. 

However, Google Search Console (GSC) provides a completely free way to access insights straight from Google itself.

GSC is a powerful and often underused tool that shows exactly what is working on a site and where improvements can be made.

Unlike other keyword research tools that provide generic suggestions and estimated data, GSC delivers real-life search data based on actual searches leading to a website. It can often uncover interesting insights.

Here’s how to use GSC to find valuable keyword opportunities and improve rankings.

Why use Google Search Console for keyword research?

Google Search Console is a goldmine for keyword insights. Here’s why you should use it.

  • Free and requires no subscriptions: Many SEO tools require costly subscriptions, but GSC is completely free, making it accessible to businesses of all sizes.
  • Provides real keyword performance data: Most keyword research tools provide estimated search volumes, but GSC shows actual data on searches that lead users to your site, ensuring accuracy.
  • Helps identify keywords with high optimization potential: Analyzing existing keyword rankings allows you to optimize content and improve visibility with small tweaks.
  • Uncovers content gaps and new topic opportunities: GSC reveals queries that may not have been intentionally targeted but are already driving traffic, providing ideas for new content.
  • Tracks keyword performance over time: You can monitor how rankings fluctuate, which keywords are growing in importance, and how search behavior is evolving.
  • Helps understand search intent: By analyzing query data, you can refine content to better match user intent and increase engagement.
  • Provides device-specific insights: Performance can vary between desktop and mobile users, and GSC helps fine-tune SEO strategies accordingly.

Dig deeper: 6 vital lenses for effective keyword research

5-step process for using Google Search Console

Step 1: Discover what you’re already ranking for

Rather than focusing solely on new keywords, GSC helps identify keywords that are already ranking but could perform better with some optimization.

How to find ranking keywords

  • Log into Google Search Console and select a website.
  • Click on Performance > Search Results.
  • Scroll down to the Queries section to see the search terms leading visitors to the site.

What to look for

  • Keywords ranking in positions 11-30 (Pages 2-3 of Google). These have potential to break into Page 1 with slight optimizations.
  • Unexpected keywords that weren’t intentionally targeted but are ranking anyway, presenting new content opportunities.
  • High-impression, low-CTR keywords, indicating that page titles or meta descriptions may need optimization to improve click-through rates.
  • Seasonal search trends, allowing content to be optimized ahead of high-traffic periods.
  • Queries with declining CTRs, which may indicate changing search intent or increased competition.

Dig deeper: Why traditional keyword research is failing and how to fix it with search intent

Step 2: Find new blog topics

GSC is useful for content ideation by revealing long-tail search queries that are ideal for blog topics.

How to do it

  • Navigate to the Performance report and look for long-tail search queries.
  • Identify keywords that are not well-covered on the site.
  • Create dedicated blog posts answering those exact queries.
  • Optimize existing content by incorporating these new long-tail keywords naturally.
  • Cross-link between related blog posts to build topical authority.

Get the newsletter search marketers rely on.



Step 3: Identify and manage irrelevant keywords

GSC can also reveal irrelevant search terms bringing traffic to a site. Some queries may drive traffic that does not align with the intended audience, leading to vanity traffic that skews reports.

How to manage irrelevant search terms

  • Identify keywords bringing in non-relevant traffic that do not contribute to conversions or engagement.
  • Adjust on-page content and metadata to clarify the intent of the page.
  • Use negative keywords in paid search campaigns if these terms are also appearing in PPC reports.
  • Monitor engagement rates and session duration for traffic from these terms to assess engagement levels.

Example

  • If a bathroom renovation site ranks for “how to clean a kitchen splashback,” that traffic is unlikely to convert into meaningful engagement.
  • Identifying and minimizing such cases ensures that a site is optimized for relevant search terms.

Step 4: Track overall keyword performance

GSC provides detailed performance tracking without the need for a paid keyword tracking tool.

Key metrics to check

  • Total clicks: The number of visitors coming from search results.
  • Total impressions: The number of times a site appears in search results.
  • Click-through rate (CTR): The percentage of users who click after seeing a result.
  • Average position: The ranking in Google search results.
  • Branded vs. non-branded search terms: Understanding the balance between brand visibility and new audience acquisition.
  • Device-specific performance: Identifying whether certain keywords perform better on mobile vs. desktop.

Unlike most SEO tools that limit the number of keywords tracked, GSC offers unlimited data on how a site is performing.

Step 5: Monitor and adjust regularly

SEO requires ongoing monitoring and adjustments

Google’s algorithms evolve, competitors optimize, and search trends change. 

Regularly checking GSC data helps refine content strategies over time.

Quick SEO wins using GSC

  • Find and optimize underperforming pages with high impressions but low CTR.
  • Prioritize content updates for topics already driving traffic.
  • Fix technical SEO issues flagged in Search Console, such as slow-loading pages or mobile usability errors.
  • Create new content based on keyword discoveries.
  • Identify and address keyword cannibalization by ensuring the right page is ranking for a given query.
  • Use internal linking strategically to strengthen authority for key landing pages.

Dig deeper: How to use Google Search Console to unlock easy SEO wins

More advanced strategies

While not strictly related to keyword research, ensuring that any errors are dealt with can help with achieving a deeper understanding of keywords. 

After all, if a page isn’t indexed due to a technical issue, then no amount of tweaking to the content will help.

Identifying errors

The URL Inspection tool in GSC is invaluable for understanding how Google views and indexes a specific page. 

You can use it to troubleshoot indexing problems and ensure that pages are properly crawled.

How to use it

  • Open Google Search Console and navigate to the URL Inspection Tool.
  • Enter the URL of the page you want to inspect.
  • Click Enter to see the latest indexing status.
  • Review key insights, including:
    • Indexing status: Is the page indexed or not?
    • Crawl errors: Identifies issues preventing the page from appearing in search results.
    • Canonical URL: Ensures that Google recognizes the correct version of the page.
    • Last crawl date: Shows when Google last crawled the page.
    • Rendered page view: Displays how Googlebot sees the page.

If the page is not indexed, click Request Indexing to prompt Google to crawl it again.

If there are errors, follow the recommendations provided and resolve issues such as robots.txt blocking, noindex tags, or canonical conflicts.

By regularly inspecting URLs, you can ensure that critical pages are properly indexed and visible in search results.

Dig deeper: How to fix ‘Crawled – Currently not indexed’ error in Google Search Console

International SEO

For websites targeting multiple countries, understanding geographic search performance can help refine international SEO strategies and localize content for different markets.

How to use it

  • In Google Search Console, navigate to Performance > Search Results.
  • Click on the Countries tab to see a breakdown of traffic by region.
  • Identify which countries are driving the most organic traffic and how search trends vary between locations.

Dig deeper: Advanced SEO: How to level up your keyword strategy

Harness Google Search Console for SEO wins

Google Search Console is a powerful and often overlooked tool for keyword research.

It provides real data directly from Google, showing exactly how a site is performing in search.

  • Use it to find quick-win keyword opportunities.
  • Identify new content ideas based on real user searches.
  • Eliminate vanity traffic that does not convert.
  • Track performance trends and adjust SEO strategies accordingly.

By using GSC effectively, you can uncover high-impact opportunities, refine strategies, and drive meaningful improvements in search performance – all without spending a penny on keyword research tools.

Read more at Read More

Generative AI use surging among consumers for online shopping: Report

AI retail traffic

Traffic from generative AI surged to U.S. retail sites over the holiday season and that trend has continued into 2025, according to new Adobe data.

Between Nov. 1 and Dec. 31, traffic from generative AI sources increased by 1,300% compared to the year prior (up 1,950% YoY on Cyber Monday). 

This trend continued beyond the holiday season, Adobe found. In February, traffic from generative AI sources increased by 1,200% compared to July 2024. 

The percentages are high because generative AI tools are so new. ChatGPT debuted its research preview on Nov. 30. 2022. Generative AI traffic remains modest compared to other channels, such as paid search or email, but the growth is notable. It’s doubled every two months since September 2024.

By the numbers. Findings from Adobe’s survey of 5,000 U.S. consumers found AI generates more engaged traffic:

  • 39% used generative AI for online shopping, with 53% planning to do so in 2025. 
  • 55% of respondents) use generative AI for conducting research.
  • 47% use it for product recommendations.
  • 43% use generative AI for seeking deals.
  • 35% for getting gift ideas.
  • 35% for finding unique products. 
  • 33% for creating shopping lists.

One of the most interesting findings from Adobe covers what happens once generative AI users land on a retail website. Compared to non-AI traffic sources (including paid search, affiliates and partners, email, organic search, social media), generative AI traffic shows:

  • More engagement: Adobe found 8% higher engagement as individuals linger on the site for longer. 
  • More pages: Generative AI visitors browse 12% more pages per visit
  • Fewer bounces: They have a 23% lower bounce rate. 

Yes, but. While engaged traffic is good, conversions are better.

  • Adobe found that traffic from generative AI sources is 9% less likely to convert than traffic from other sources.
  • However, the data shows that this has improved significantly since July 2024, which indicates growing comfort.

Generative AI for travel planning. In February 2025, traffic to U.S. travel, leisure and hospitality sites (including hotels) from generative AI sources increased by 1,700% compared to July 2024. In Adobe’s survey, 29% have used generative AI for travel-related tasks, with 84% saying it improved their experience. 

The top use cases amongst AI users include:

  • General research, 54% of respondents.
  • Travel inspiration, 43%.
  • Local food recommendations, 43%.
  • Transportation planning, 41%.
  • Itinerary creation, 37%.
  • Budget management, 31%.
  • Packing assistance, 20%. 

Once users land on a travel site, Adobe Analytics data shows a 45% lower bounce rate.

Gen AI for financial services research. In February 2025, traffic to U.S. banking sites from generative AI sources increased by 1,200% compared to July 2024. 

Adobe’s survey of U.S. consumers found 27% have used generative AI for banking and financial needs. The top use cases include:

  • Recommendations for checking and savings accounts, 42%.
  • Asking for explainers on investment strategies and terminology, 40%.
  • Creating a personalized budget, 39%.
  • Understanding the tax implications of financial decisions, 35%. 

Once generative AI traffic lands on a banking site, visitors spend 45% more time browsing (versus non-AI sources).  

About the data. Adobe’s data comes from the company’s Adobe Analytics platform and is based on more than 1 trillion visits to U.S. retail sites. Adobe also launched a companion survey of more than 5,000 U.S. respondents to understand how they use AI daily.

Read more at Read More

9 Ecommerce Website Optimization Tactics [Expert Insights]

Want to 2X, 3X, or even 4X your ecommerce sales?

Start by diagnosing what’s working on your site and what isn’t.

Then, apply targeted fixes based on real data. Not hunches.

In this guide, I’m sharing my lessons and strategies from 10+ years in digital marketing.

Plus, I interviewed four leading ecommerce website optimization experts for their best conversion-driving insights:

  • Leigh McKenzie from UnderFit (also head of SEO @ Backlinko)
  • Rishi Rawat from Frictionless Commerce
  • Anna Bolton from Conversion Copy Co.
  • Kurt Philip from Convertica

Leading ecommerce website optimization experts

Let’s start by identifying the biggest roadblocks standing between you and more revenue.

Phase 1: Analyze and Diagnose Your Site’s Existing Issues

Every effective ecommerce website optimization strategy starts with a solid, data-driven diagnosis.

As economist W. Edwards Deming once said:

“Without data, you’re just another person with an opinion.”


Quantitative Research: Finding Patterns in the Numbers

Quantitative research focuses on analyzing data to identify trends and behaviors.

It helps you answer questions about your online store’s performance, such as:

  • Where are visitors dropping off in the funnel?
  • What are users actually doing on each page (scrolling, clicking)?
  • How does behavior differ across traffic segments (e.g., mobile vs. desktop, organic vs. paid)?

The good news:

There are many tools to help you with this analysis.

Quantitative Research – Data & Key metrics

Google Analytics (GA4)

Google Analytics provides helpful insights into user behavior and website performance.

Including how visitors from different traffic sources behave.

For example, to uncover drop-off points during checkout:

Navigate to Reports > Monetization > Checkout journey.

Google Analytics purchase journey

This lets you examine the flow from checkout to purchase.

And analyze abandonment rates for each stage to identify potential bottlenecks.

For example, a high abandonment rate on the payment page might signal technical issues.

Or trust barriers, such as last-minute doubt about product quality.

Pro tip: There’s no universal definition of a high abandonment rate. It varies by industry, funnel, and goals. Compare it against your historical data to see if there’s a problem.


Hotjar

Hotjar, a heatmap and behavior analytics tool, is incredibly powerful for qualitative research (more on that soon).

Hotjar – Homepage

It gives you a clear picture of how online shoppers interact with your site.

And lets you uncover friction points that frustrate users.

For example, click tracking reveals where visitors interact with your site.

And which elements get the most engagement.

Hotjar – Click tracking

Scroll heatmaps show you how far users make it down a page. And where they drop off.

Warm colors (like red) indicate higher engagement.

And cool colors (like blue) signal lower engagement.

Scroll heatmap

Move heatmaps track how shoppers move their mouse across the page.

This reveals areas of interest and hesitation.

Heatmaps – Areas of interest

Session replays let you watch real user recordings, showing exactly how visitors navigate your site.

Watch this in action below:

Semrush Site Audit

Semrush’s Site Audit tool uncovers technical issues that affect SEO and the user experience (UX).

For example, it flags crawl errors, which are usually caused by broken links or incorrect redirects.

Site Audit – Spoke – URL with a temporary redirect

These dead ends confuse users and make it harder for search engines to crawl your pages.

(And if Google struggles to crawl them, your ranking can take a hit.)

The tool also identifies slow-loading pages that frustrate visitors.

Site Audit – Spoke –Errors & Warnings

It can also identify code bloat (aka too much JavaScript or unused CSS) that makes pages sluggish.

This can cause delayed interactions that lower conversion rates.

Site Audit – Sephora – Site Performance

Qualitative Research: Uncover the “Why” Behind the Data

Qualitative research helps you understand why customers behave the way they do.

Including their pain points, motivations, and desires.

It also helps you identify barriers to conversion, such as hesitations about buying.

And learn about other products your web visitors are considering.

Quantitative Research

Qualitative Research Methods

There are many data sources for qualitative insights.

And each one can reveal different issues and opportunities:

Research Method What to Look For Effort level
Recorded sales calls Patterns in customer questions, objections, or recurring themes Low
Live chat transcripts Common pain points, frequently asked questions, or sources of confusion Low
Customer reviews Trends in positive and negative feedback. This includes specific phrases or words that highlight desires, frustrations, or expectations Low
Online surveys Customer sentiment toward brand messaging and tone and reasons for abandonment Low to medium
Customer interviews Insights into customer motivations, needs, anxieties, and desires in their own words Medium to high
User testing sessions Usability issues, unexpected user behaviors, or areas where users struggle to complete tasks High

But you don’t need to go all-in on every qualitative method right off the bat.

Start with the data you already have.

Then, gradually level up as time and resources allow.

Turn Your Research Into Actionable Insights

You’ve got the research.

Now, you need a system to organize it.

As Anna Bolton, chief CRO and conversion copywriter of Conversion Copy Co., says:

The challenge isn’t just gathering research—it’s making sense of it. Whether you’re analyzing heatmaps, surveys, or reviews, you need to turn that data into meaningful insights. This starts with proper analysis to identify key patterns and trends. And then you need to understand that data in context—what it means for your business, audience, and goals. That’s what turns raw data into results.


So, what do you do?

Build a research repository to bring all your insights together in one place.

Think of it as a living database of findings and insights. This way, it’s easier for you to act on data.

But you don’t need anything fancy.

Start with a simple spreadsheet.

Include everything from customer research (interviews, surveys) to conversion rate optimization (CRO) results and survey data.

For example, Anna and I use a spreadsheet like the one below for one-off client projects.

Spreadsheet – Research repository

For larger-scale projects, use UX research tools like Aurelius Lab and Dovetail.

These tools offer more advanced ways to store, categorize, and retrieve insights.

Aurtelius Lab – Analysis board

Phase 2: Apply Ecommerce Website Optimization Fixes to Increase Conversions

The ecommerce website optimization best practices we’re about to cover are designed to do one thing:

Improve the customer experience.

And when you do that, conversions naturally follow.

Side note: If you’re here for SEO tips, stick around. While I’m focusing on conversion rate optimization, CRO and SEO are becoming increasingly intertwined. Anything you do to make your site better for humans will also make Google happy.


As Leigh McKenzie, head of SEO at Backlinko and owner of UnderFit, says:

“Conversion rate optimization is becoming more and more an SEO responsibility. Google heavily rewards websites that deliver a positive user experience. It’s no longer about just bringing traffic. It’s also about what happens when people get there.”


1. Boost Page Load Times

Fast-loading pages are non-negotiable for a great user experience.

Ignore speed, and conversions and bounce rates will suffer.

But increase speed. And good things follow.

Take Vodafone, for example.

After optimizing their Core Web Vitals, they saw:

  • 8% more sales
  • 11% boost in cart-to-visit rates
  • 15% jump in lead-to-visit rates

Vodafone's Core Web Vitals improvement results 

Test your site speed (and Core Web Vitals) with tools like Google’s PageSpeed Insights.

PageSpeed Insights – LCP

Here’s what to aim for:

For Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) target under 2.5 seconds.

Google's largest contentful paint guidelines

For Interaction to Next Paint (INP), 200ms or less.

Google's Interaction to Next Paint Guidelines

And for Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS), keep it below 0.1.

Google's cumulative layout shift guidelines

How to Optimize Page Speed

Not hitting Core Web Vitals benchmarks?

Here’s how to fix that:

Start with a content delivery network (CDN) like Cloudflare or AWS CloudFront.

It speeds up your site by delivering content from servers closer to your users. This reduces lag and load times.

Implement a CDN to boost speed

Next, upgrade to high-performance hosting to minimize server response delays.

Plus, use tools like Tinify to shrink uncompressed images while preserving quality.

Tinify – Compression tool

Then, clean up unnecessary code.

You can do this with tools like Terser, which helps improve rendering speeds.

Terser – Homepage

Lastly, don’t forget browser caching.

Activate browser caching

This helps repeat visitors load your site faster by storing assets locally.

Note: Use the Semrush Site Audit Tool to identify and fix Core Web Vitals issues. Get a 14-day Semrush trial here.

Site Audit – Homebase – Core Web Vitals – Metrics


2. Optimize High-Impact Pages First

Want to see results fast?

Begin with the pages that offer the quickest wins, such as product and checkout pages.

This is what Rishi Rawat, product page optimization specialist at Frictionless Commerce, does.

I work exclusively on bestselling product pages because they have the highest impact. My goal is to turn first-time visitors into buyers. Since these pages already drive a big share of the store’s revenue, I don’t spread optimization efforts thin. Instead, I improve the sales pitch and sharpen the product story. And then I make what’s already working even more persuasive.


So, how do you identify your site’s high-impact pages?

Look at where a page fits in the marketing funnel.

Consumer Goods Marketing Funnel

Start with the pages closest to the sale.

These are the pages that attract visitors in the decision and action stages. Such as product pages or the cart page.

But you might also include other pages based on user behavior.

For example, optimize the product and cart pages if your site has high cart abandonment.

GA – Purchase journey

This ensures the product page sets the right expectations.

So, when shoppers get to checkout, they feel confident in their choice.

But, if your goal is to boost mobile sales, optimize the mobile experience first.

Want to maximize paid ads conversions? Make product landing pages a priority.

3. Make Navigation and Search Intuitive

Shoppers don’t always leave because they dislike your products.

Sometimes, they leave because they can’t find what they’re looking for.

That’s why navigation plays a big role in ecommerce website optimization.

If your navigation makes users rethink their next step, you’re already losing them.

For example, imagine you’re searching for dog crates on pet company Chewy’s website.

Chewy – Intuitive navigation

You sort the results by price.

Chewy – Filter – Price low to high

But now, the first products you see are lock latch replacements and crate pans—not dog crates.

Chewy – Filtered by price – Low-to high – Results

That’s a bad user experience.

And it might cost them the sale.

The solution?

Always test filters before launch to ensure they work as expected.

And design navigation to adapt to various browsing behaviors.

Make backtracking easy with breadcrumbs and a “Recently Viewed” section.

Plus, use AI to suggest relevant filters, related categories, and top products.

Chewy – Related Searches

Navigation also impacts SEO.

As Leigh put it,

Good navigation isn’t just about getting users to a page. It’s about keeping them engaged in the shopping process. Shoppers want to see product variations, compare options, and refine their choices easily. When they do, they stay longer. And that’s what Google values. It favors sites where users engage rather than bounce back to search results. That’s why you want to optimize for getting people deeper into the experience.


4. Fix Product Page Issues

Have low-converting product pages?

They might be missing key information, like sizing or dimensions.

So, don’t give shoppers reasons to doubt the purchase.

Provide vital details clearly and compellingly.

Product page issues

Here’s what I mean.

For clothing and shoes, essential buying criteria include fit, size, and return policies.

Include details like aggregate “fit” subscore (a summary of how well an item fits based on user reviews). Especially for items like jeans.

The clothing site Everlane includes user-reported fit data right on their product pages.

Everlane – Reviews

For furniture, you’d want to include dimensions, materials, assembly, warranty information, and more.

But displaying this information isn’t enough. It needs to be easy to find and absorb.

That’s why Wayfair includes a clear, at-a-glance product details section.

Wayfair – Furniture key informations

For food and supplements, ingredients and nutrition details are non-negotiable.

Supplement company AlgaeCal prominently displays these details right in the hero section.

AlgaeCal – Product details

Your product image gallery is another potential reason for low conversions.

But don’t just show your product. Use it to tell its story.

I love how Huel, a plant-based food company, does this.

It adds key selling points directly onto product photos.

Like nutrition facts and product benefits.

Huel – Nutrition facts & product benefits

User-generated content (UGC) also works well as an addition to your photo gallery.

It can also boost credibility by showing your products in real life.

Popov Leather – Product – UGC

Videos provide an even richer view.

Clothing company ASOS includes short video clips that show how clothing moves and fits on real people.

5. Make Checkout Easy

Checkout is a fragile part of the conversion funnel.

It’s the moment when the customer is closest to buying.

And most likely to hesitate.

That’s why 65% of shoppers abandon their carts before completing a purchase. Ouch.

Abandonment

So, what should you do?

Make the checkout process effortless.

Consider Amazon’s one-click checkout.

Amazon – Product – Buy Now button

The less thinking required and the faster the process, the higher the conversions.

One way to do this?

Strip the checkout process down to the essentials.

For example, only ask for the bare minimum in your checkout form.

  • Name
  • Email
  • Delivery address
  • Billing address
  • Payment details

Nike – Checkout form

If you must ask for additional details—like a phone number—explain why.

Transparency reduces friction.

Felix Gray – Product checkout – Phone question mark

If checkout requires many steps, use a progress indicator. It shows shoppers how far they are in the process.

This reduces uncertainty and keeps them moving forward.

Booking – Checkout process

Guest checkout is non-negotiable.

Why?

Forcing users to create an account hurts conversions.

Over 26% of shoppers abandon checkout when forced to create an account.

Abandon – Checkout statistics

Let them buy first.

Then, invite them to create an account after the purchase.

That’s what Boots, a health and beauty retailer, does.

Boots – heckout as guest

As Kurt Philip, CEO of Convertica, says:

Forcing people to create an account is an unnecessary barrier. You can just auto-generate one for them. Let them check out first, and then send them a confirmation email with their details. And a ‘Set Your Password’ option later. That way, the process stays frictionless, and they still get an account without effort.


But consider this:

Your job doesn’t stop when someone adds an item to the cart.

This is your chance to remove any last-minute hesitation and get the sale.

Ridge Wallet, an accessories manufacturer, does this well.

It displays social proof at the top of the checkout page by highlighting its “100K+ 5-star reviews.”

It also includes trust boosters like a risk-free trial and fast shipping.

Rdge – Product checkout – Social proof

Outdoor gear company Patagonia highlights its “Ironclad Guarantee” on the checkout page.

This reassures buyers that buying is risk-free.

And it also strengthens Patagonia’s credibility.

Patagonia – Ironclad Guarantee

Clothing company Everlane also understands the power of timing.

It reminds shoppers of first-time buyer discounts at checkout to encourage them to take advantage of savings.

Helping to reduce cart abandonment.

And convert hesitant buyers.

Everlane – Checkout savings

6. Write Copy That Educates and Persuades

Conversion copy isn’t just about clever wording.

It’s about guiding shoppers to action through clear information and persuasive web design.

Clarify Your Message

First-time visitors should instantly understand what you sell and who it’s for.

Boom Beauty’s product page is a great example.

Their copy clearly communicates both product purpose, ideal customer, and benefits:

  • “Three multitasking beauty essentials”
  • “Three sticks. Endless Possibilities.”
  • “Simplify your beauty routine”

Boom Beauty – Product description

Layer Persuasion Principles into Every Page

Preemptively address objections with persuasion principles.

Kitchenware company Caraway does this by answering a key question upfront:

“Is this cookware safe?”

Caraway – Persuasion principles

Right away, shoppers see “Non-Toxic Coating.”

And the copy underneath provides more details about the toxic materials you won’t find in their cookware.

Balance Benefits and Features

As they browse, shoppers are constantly thinking:

“What’s in it for me?”

That’s why you need to list benefits along with features.

Menswear brand Spoke London does this well.

On their homepage, they highlight what makes their menswear different.

Like a “flawless fit” and “uncompromising design.”

Spoke – Copy

Use Design to Support Your Copy

Strong copy needs equally strong visuals.

When I wrote copy for a face mask product page, the design amplified my key messaging by:

  • Showing how the mask is worn
  • Using close-ups to prove quality claims
  • Creating a clean, scannable layout

Together, they created a more persuasive shopping experience.

Irestore – Design supports copy

7. Optimize for Mobile Buyer Behavior

Mobile shoppers think, browse, and buy differently than desktop users.

In fact, there are four key behavioral differences, according to a study.

This includes their search behavior, cognitive effort, engagement, and position in the funnel.

Behavioral Differences Mobile Shoppers Desktop Shoppers
Search Behavior Less diverse searches More diverse searches
Cognitive Effort Prefer tasks requiring less cognitive effort Have the patience for tasks that involve more research or exploration
Engagement Fewer visits and fewer searches per visit More visits and more searches
Position in the Funnel Tend to be more advanced in the conversion funnel More evenly distributed between research and decision stages

This means you can’t just shrink your desktop site and call it mobile-optimized.

Instead, design for how mobile users actually shop.

First, reduce cognitive load—the mental effort required to complete a task.

It’s higher on mobile due to smaller screens and limited navigation options.

Show only essential information first, then reveal more as needed.

This “progressive disclosure” keeps pages focused and reduces overwhelm.

Sephora is a great example of this.

Sephora – Progressive disclosure

Like many ecommerce sites, they first used a hamburger menu to simplify navigation.

But, their research showed users were still experiencing friction.

So, they replaced the hamburger menu with a scrollable navigation and pop-up filters.

Top categories appeared first, and more filters were accessible as needed.

Sephora – Mobile – Homepage

The result? A measurable increase in mobile engagement and conversions.

Another way to improve the mobile experience is by minimizing typing and input friction.

You can do this by:

  • Auto-switching to the right keyboard (numeric for credit cards, email for logins)
  • Enabling autofill for addresses and payment details to reduce manual typing
  • Using dropdowns and prefilled options to speed up form completion
  • Ensuring buttons and links are large enough to tap easily without zooming

Sephora – Mobile – Prominent button

Mobile users also want fast search and filtering options.

Use predictive search with auto-suggestions based on past searches and popular queries.

Sephora – Mobile – Search – Blush

8. Personalize the Shopping Experience

Forty percent of ecommerce customers expect a personalized experience.

Personalize the shopping experience – Study

But you don’t have to personalize everything.

The goal is to make shoppers feel like you understand their needs. Not that you’re watching their every move.

For example, motorcycle gear company Revzilla dynamically adjusts shipping information based on user behavior and location.

The banner updates instantly when I visit, displaying region-specific shipping details.

Though it’s a U.S.-based site, it tailors content for my location in Croatia.

Revzilla – Shipping

It’s one small change.

But it resolves a key concern before it even becomes a question.

This reduces friction in the buying decision.

So, what else can you personalize?

Here are some examples.

Tiffany & Co. has a slide-in window for returning visitors that welcomes you back.

And encourages you to “continue shopping” by reminding you of the products you’ve viewed.

Tiffany & Co. has a slide in window for returning visitors

Amazon personalizes its homepage based on your buying behavior, displaying:

  • Products you’ve viewed and bought
  • Deals related to your past interactions

Amazon – Homepage

Effective personalization relies on four key data types to create tailored experiences:

  • First-party data (profiles, quizzes, preferences): This lets you personalize recommendations based on customer input
  • Browsing behavior (page views, search patterns, cart activity): Helps adapt content in real-time
  • CRM data (buying history, abandoned carts): Powers retargeting campaigns and perfectly timed offers
  • Predictive insights: Uses AI to analyze patterns and predict needs

9. A/B Test to Learn. Not Just to Win.

At the heart of ecommerce website optimization is A/B testing.

But here’s the thing:

Your goal isn’t just about finding a “winning variation.”

It’s to learn more about the psychology of your buyers.

As Jonny Longden, chief growth officer at Speero, puts it:

When you run a test, whether it wins or loses is in some ways irrelevant because you can learn something from it. Some of the most successful tests that you will run happen as a result of a test that lost. When you chase winners, you ignore that fact.


For example, if a trust badge increases conversions, the real takeaway isn’t just that the badge works.

It’s that customers need more reassurance before they give you their credit card.

This insight goes beyond checkout.

It suggests that trust signals should be reinforced earlier in the buying journey. On product pages, in the cart, and even in post-purchase messaging.

Why?

If hesitation exists at checkout, it likely started long before.

One more thing.

A/B testing only works if you have enough traffic to reach statistical significance.

Kurt says your test page should receive at least 10,000 visits per month.

This gives you meaningful insights in a reasonable timeframe.

But traffic alone isn’t enough.

What matters is whether you can reach statistical significance. This ensures your results aren’t just due to chance.

To determine the right sample size, use Optimizely’s A/B Test Sample Size Calculator.

Optimizely – Sample size calculator

Now, if your traffic is too low, A/B testing may not be the best tool yet.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t optimize your ecommerce website.

Here’s what you can do instead:

Multi-armed bandit (MAB) testing dynamically directs traffic to better-performing pages.

It doesn’t wait for statistical significance.

Instead, it continuously reallocates traffic in real time to maximize conversions as data is collected.

AB vs Bandit Testing

Another alternative is pre/post testing.

Instead of splitting traffic, test one variation for a set period and then switch to another.

Finally, make high-impact changes like a full rewrite and redesign of a product page.

These larger changes are more likely to yield noticeable improvements.

Ways to optimize for low traffic sites

Transform Your Ecommerce Site into a Sales Machine

The bottom line:

You could be leaving thousands of dollars on the table with your ecommerce site.

Optimize it the right way, and you could double—or even triple—your revenue.

Remember, diagnose first and then make strategic, high-impact changes.

Want more proven ecommerce website optimization strategies to boost your sales?

Our definitive guide to conversion rate optimization includes:

  • A/B testing basics
  • A blueprint for high-converting landing pages
  • Conversion copy tactics that persuade

The post 9 Ecommerce Website Optimization Tactics [Expert Insights] appeared first on Backlinko.

Read more at Read More

AI search engines often make up citations and answers: Study

AI search engines and chatbots often provide wrong answers and make up article citations, according to a new study from Columbia Journalism Review.

Why we care. AI search tools have ramped up the scraping of your content so they can serve answers to their users, often resulting in no clicks to your website. Also, click-through rates from AI search and chatbots are much lower than Google Search, according to a separate, unrelated study. But hallucinating citations makes an already bad situation even worse.

By the numbers. More than half of the responses from Gemini and Grok 3 cited fabricated or broken URLs that led to error pages. Also, according to the study:

  • Overall, chatbots provided incorrect answers to more than 60% of queries:
    • Grok 3 (the highest error rate) answered 94% of the queries incorrectly.
    • Gemini only provided a completely correct response on one occasion (in 10 attempts).
    • Perplexity, which had the lowest error rate, answered 37% of queries incorrectly.

What they’re saying. The study authors (Klaudia Jaźwińska and Aisvarya Chandrasekar), who also noted that “multiple chatbots seemed to bypass Robot Exclusion Protocol preferences,” summed up this way:

“The findings of this study align closely with those outlined in our previous ChatGPT study, published in November 2024, which revealed consistent patterns across chabots: confident presentations of incorrect information, misleading attributions to syndicated content, and inconsistent information retrieval practices. Critics of generative search like Chirag Shah and Emily M. Bender have raised substantive concerns about using large language models for search, noting that they ‘take away transparency and user agency, further amplify the problems associated with bias in [information access] systems, and often provide ungrounded and/or toxic answers that may go unchecked by a typical user.’” 

About the comparison. This analysis of 1,600 queries compared the ability of generative AI tools (ChatGPT search, Perplexity, Perplexity Pro, DeepSeek search, Microsoft CoPilot, xAI’s Grok-2 and Grok-3 search, and Google Gemini) to identify an article’s headline, original publisher, publication date, and URL, based on direct excerpts of 10 articles chosen at random from 20 publishers.

The study. AI Search Has A Citation Problem

Read more at Read More

Google Search is 373x bigger than ChatGPT search

Giant robot vs little robots

Despite being a popular talking point, people aren’t (yet?) abandoning Google Search and using ChatGPT search or other AI chatbots.

In fact, the number of Google searches increased year over year, and Google Search handles 373 times more searches than ChatGPT, according to a new analysis by SparkToro co-founder Rand Fishkin.

Why we care. Many search marketers, users, and analysts have speculated that AI tools are reducing Google’s dominance in search. However, this research finds no evidence that vast numbers of searchers are abandoning Google for ChatGPT and other AI search engines and chatbot experiences.

By the numbers. Even if all ChatGPT’s 1 billion messages per day were search-related, its total share of the search market would be less than 1%. (ChatGPT used search to answer 46% of queries, and only 30% of ChatGPT prompts fell into “traditional” search-like behavior, according to a Semrush study.)

  • Google saw more than 5 trillion searches in 2024, or about 14 billion per day, giving it a 93.57% market share.
  • ChatGPT saw an estimated 37.5 million search-like prompts per day, giving it a 0.25% market share. That’s less than Microsoft Bing (4.10%), Yahoo (1.35%), and DuckDuckGo (0.73%).
  • Google saw ~373 times as many searches as ChatGPT in 2024.

More Google searches. The number of Google searches grew 21.64% in 2024, compared to 2023, based on Datos data.

  • This data seems to confirm what Alphabet/Google CEO Sundar Pichai said about AI Overviews increasing search usage (“we are seeing an increase in search usage among people who use the new AI Overviews…”).

But. Just because people are searching more doesn’t necessarily mean Google is sending as many clicks or as much traffic to websites. As a reminder, an estimated 60% of Google searches ended without a click in 2024. That means more than 3 trillion searches in 2024 ended without a click.

Dig deeper. Survey: 54% of people look through more search results vs. 5 years ago

The report. New Research: Google Search Grew 20%+ in 2024; receives ~373X more searches than ChatGPT.

Read more at Read More